DRI arrested three men, seized gold, silver worth crores of rupees (Representational)
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested three men and seized gold and silver worth crores of rupees from them, believed to have been smuggled into the country from neighbouring Nepal, according to an official statement issued Thursday.
Acting on inputs, the DRI officials searched two residential premises in Howrah and 9.091 kg of gold of foreign origin valued at Rs 2.87 crore and 14 kg of silver of foreign origin, worth Rs 4.2 lakh, were recovered, it said.
On further follow up action, the officials conducted searches at a shop and recovered another 3.8 kg of silver granules of foreign origin valued at Rs 1.14 lakh and nearly 46 grams gold of foreign origin, worth Rs 1.45 lakh, along with Rs 1.12 crore in cash.
Three men were arrested in these searches conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, the DRI said in the statement.
These three men could not produce any licit documents of import and for possession of gold, silver and Indian currency notes amounting to Rs 1.12 crore, it said.
With this, the DRI has seized over 290 kg of gold, valued at close to Rs 88.39 crore, from the region spread over West Bengal and the north-eastern states in the current financial year. The gold was smuggled from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal and even China.
In the previous financial year, the DRI had seized close to 430 kg of gold in the east and northeast region collectively valued at more than Rs 110 crore.