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Guwahati : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had seized 18.967 kg gold biscuits worth of Rs 5.85 crore in Mizoram.
According to the reports, acting on a tip-off, the DRI team had intercepted one Maxi cab at Melthum area on Wednesday evening and recovered 114 numbers of gold biscuit weighing about 18.967 kg from the vehicle.
The gold biscuits were recovered by the DRI team from the trolley bags, rucksack and mobile power bank carried by three occupants, namely Laliapa, Biakliana and R Lalhmingmawia of the Maxi cab which was moving from Vaphai and proceeding towards Aizawl.
A top official of DRI said that, the gold biscuits were smuggled into India through the porous borders with Myanmar in the state of Mizoram.
“The goods have been seized under the Customs Act, 1962 and the market value of the gold biscuits is estimated to be around Rs 5.85 crore,” the DRI official said.
“With this seizure, in the current financial year, starting from April 1, 2018 till date, in the region spread over West Bengal and the North-Eastern states, the DRI has seized over 223.467 kg of gold and gold Jewellery with an estimated market value of Rs 67.20 crore, smuggled from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and even China. In the previous financial year (2017-2018), DRI has seized close to 430 kg of gold and gold Jewellery in the East and North East region collectively valued at more than Rs 110 crore,” the top DRI official said.
The official further said that, DRI remains committed to combating all types of cross border crime involving smuggling of gold, consumer goods, drugs and narcotics, wild life articles, Fake Indian Currency Notes and counterfeit goods, import-export frauds and trade based money laundering.
The north-eastern region having boundaries with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and China is particularly sensitive from the perspective of smuggling activities and cross border crime.
Combating this cross border crime in this region poses various challenges on account of factors such as rugged topography and porosity of the borders, lack of economic opportunities and the lure of easy money.
To overcome these challenges and in order to further the cause of enforcement of cross border crime, DRI has joined hands with various formations such as Customs, Assam Rifles, BSF, State Police agencies, Forests and Wild Life Crime Control Bureau amongst others in the region.
(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)
