DRI Seizes Rs 2.51 Crore Gold at Telangana Toll Plaza

Gold valued at Rs 2.51 crore was seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Panthangi Toll Plaza in Telangana. Three individuals transporting the gold from Chennai to Bidar were arrested. The gold was concealed in a specially made cavity beneath the car's handbrake.

Gold valued at over Rs 2.51 crore was seized at Panthangi Toll Plaza in Choutuppal, Telangana, according to a statement from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Thursday. Three individuals transporting the gold from Chennai to Bidar in Karnataka were arrested.

Based on specific intelligence developed by the DRI Hyderabad Zonal Unit, officers intercepted the suspects at Panthangi toll plaza on July 31. Thorough questioning revealed that the gold, of foreign origin, was hidden in a specially made cavity below the car's handbrake.

One suspect opened the secret compartment by pulling a latch beside the clutch, exposing three packages wrapped in brown tape. Five 24Kt gold bars or cut pieces, with 99.5 percent purity and weighing 3,577 grams, were recovered. The gold and the vehicle were seized, and the suspects were remanded to judicial custody under the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigations are ongoing.

(With inputs from agencies.)