DRI officers seize 23.34 kg gold worth Rs 14 crore, arrests 2

Melting of the paste resulted in the recovery of gold weighing 10.06 kg valued at Rs 6.15 crore.Both the persons have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody, the ministry added.

Officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have seized 23.34 kg of foreign gold valued at Rs 14.43 crore, which was being smuggled into India through the Chennai airport, and arrested 2 persons in two separate operations.

An operation was conducted on May 8 after DRI officers developed intelligence that a passenger, who arrived at Chennai international airport from Dubai through Colombo, was carrying huge quantities of foreign-origin smuggled gold and was on his way to his residence in Chennai.

Accordingly, he was intercepted while he was getting down from an auto rickshaw near his residence. Examination of the person led to the recovery of gold in paste form concealed in various knee caps worn by him and in specially made pouches in his pants. After extraction, 13.28 kg of gold valued at Rs 8.28 crore was recovered and seized, the finance ministry said.

In another operation conducted on May 11, the DRI officers intercepted a Sri Lankan national arriving from Colombo at Chennai international Airport.

On examination of the hand baggage of the passenger, gold in paste form was found concealed inside 8 chocolate packets. Melting of the paste resulted in the recovery of gold weighing 10.06 kg valued at Rs 6.15 crore.

Both the persons have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody, the ministry added.