26kg gold found in waist belts, 3 held - The bars had been smuggled into India from Myanmar

 TT   |   Siliguri   |   17.08.20 : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized gold bars worth around Rs 14 crore on Saturday.

Three men, all residents of Maharastra, have been arrested with the gold bars that had been smuggled into India from Myanmar. 

The trio had been carrying 160 gold bars, weighing around 26.5kg, hidden in custom-made waist belts, to Delhi.

The DRI sources said they acted on a tip-off and raided the Brahmaputra Mail as the train reached the New Jalpaiguri station. The train had been headed for Delhi from Northeast. 

Those arrested have been identified as Saurav Samarao Sikhandey, Sandip Thappa Naraley and Sasikant Tanhaji Fute. 

“A team of the DRI conducted the raid and intercepted the three men, who were then taken to the DRI office from the railway station. As they were searched, the gold bars were found in specially made waist belts that all three had been wearing. They had taken the train from Northeast and were smuggling the gold to Delhi. It seems that they are associated with a gold smuggling racket,” said Tridip Saha, the lawyer representing the DRI.

All the three were produced in a court here on Saturday. The court heard the case and ordered them judicial custody.

In March this year, the DRI had made a similar gold seizure here, rading two buses of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation to seize 5.83 kilos of gold worth Rs 2.53 crores. Two persons had been arrested then.