By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, NOV 24, 2013: THE Directorate of Revenue Intelligence(DRI) has early this week busted some organized syndicates involved in smuggling of Gold, Foreign Currency and Iridium. In this regard, DRI arrested some persons.

The DRI sleuths got a tipoff that one Scorpio was carrying a consignment of smuggled gold from the Land Customs Station based at Indo-Nepal border and some persons of the cartel were likely to deliver substantial quantity of smuggled gold somewhere in Delhi around Daryaganj.

Acting on the tipoff, the sleuths mounted surveillance in Daryaganj area and spotted one white colour Scorpio roaming around Shroff Eye Hospital, Daryaganj. Further officers kept close vigil on the movement of the vehicle which was parked in the parking area of Shroff Hospital. One of the suspects was seen contacting another suspect sitting in the vehicle. At this stage, the officers intercepted them and enquired about their visit. It was found that they had no patient admitted in the hospital and a rummaging of the vehicle resulted in recovery of 17 kg of smuggled gold made of foreign make. The consignment was concealed in the driver's door and the same was smuggled from Nepal.

The Delhi Zonal Unit has seized as much as 57 kg gold in the recent seizures. Last Friday, acting on a tip-off, the DRI sleuths seized a huge haul of foreign currency, which was likely to be exported from IGI Aiport, New Delhi. It was found to be around 1,79,000 EURO worth Rs 1.5 Cr. A new modus operandi has been noticed that foreign currency is being smuggled through carriers by concealment in their private body parts. All this foreign currency was sale proceed of smuggled gold and was to be smuggled by air to Dubai for further smuggling of gold.

In another major breakthrough, DRI sleuths recovered 1.5 kg. of Iridium valued at Rs.45 lakh from one Utility Handler working for Cambatta Aviation at IGI Airport who was found involved in smuggling. He has stated that he received it from one international passenger in toilet area of IGI Airport, which was to subsequently handed over.