Three held with 35 gold biscuits worth Rs 2.86 crore in Muzaffarpur

PATNA: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Customs sleuths arrested three persons and seized 35 gold biscuits weighing 5.85kg and worth at least Rs2.86 crore from a car in which they were travelling near Maithi toll plaza in Muzaffarpur district on Sunday.
The DRI sources disclosed the matter on Monday after interrogating the arrested trio for several hours and forwarded them in judicial custody after production before a Muzaffarpur court.
Sources said simultaneous raids were carried out by the DRI teams in Delhi, leading to recovery of smuggled 5.5kg pure gold biscuits. The DRI sleuths also unearthed huge cash transaction in Bhopal from selling the smuggled gold.
In Muzaffarpur, sources said the biscuits were of 24 carat gold and were hidden in a specially created box beneath the battery casing in the car’s engine. Sources said the arrested persons had pasted ‘PRESS’ insignia on the car, which has Assam’s registration number, to avoid any suspicion.
They said the biscuits seized in Muzaffarpur are suspected to be of Myanmar origin as they were engraved with symbols used in the Myanmar bullion market. “The biscuits are of 100% gold. The action in Delhi and Bhopal was against the same syndicate involved in the Muzaffarpur smuggling,” a source said.
“The consignment intercepted in Muzaffarpur was smuggled inside the Indian territory from Moreh (Manipur), which shares the international border with Myanmar. The arrested trio had picked up the consignment from Guwahati. It was to be delivered in Varanasi,” a DRI source said.
He said the entire consignment was to be used in the Varanasi bullion market and at some different places.
“The follow-up action is going on in Varanasi. Nothing further can be disclosed at present. Names of the arrested trio are being withheld for security reasons. They have smuggled gold on multiple occasions in the past too,” another source said.