MUMBAI: About 15 kg of gold kept in the strongroom in the office of the Commissioner of Customs here was reported missing on Saturday.
The gold was seized by Customs officials over a period of time while it was being smuggled. The officials noticed that it was missing when confiscated valuables were to be produced before the court in connection with a case, police sources said.
Upon receiving a written complaint from the Customs authorities, a city police team headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police inspected the Customs office and the strongroom.
The Office of the Commissioner of Customs located on the busy Williams Road has security guards deployed at the main entrance. On Sunday, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Saroj Kumar Thakur and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) Jayanthi inspected the office. A preliminary enquiry has been completed and discussions with the Customs officials were held.
Though Customs authorities refused to divulge the exact quantum of gold that went missing, city police sources said they received information that it was about 15 kg of gold, valued at around Rs. 4 crore.
No case had been booked by the city police, the sources said, adding that the Customs authorities planned to approach the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the matter as the property and the place from where it was reported missing belongs to the Central government.
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