MUMBAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) launched a search for several key operatives, including the financier-cum-mastermind of an alleged international gold-trafficking syndicate. This syndicate purportedly specializes in processing yellow metal smuggled from African countries for subsequent sale in the city to local buyers, according to sources.
The DRI had recently begun a crackdown on the operations of the syndicate under its scanner, seizing 9.67 kg of smuggled gold in various forms, Indian currency notes worth ₹1.92 crore, and 1.9 lakh US Dollars, the total seizure amounting to ₹10.48 crore. The agency then nabbed four accused persons, including the syndicate’s alleged operator of a melting unit that processed smuggled foreign-origin gold for subsequent sale in the city, another man who allegedly coordinated its work, and two African nationals who allegedly provided gold to it via carriers.
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According to the sources, the probe is focusing on nabbing the other key operatives of the syndicate, which includes the man who controls and funds its operations and is suspected of being an Indian and the purchaser of processed smuggled gold seized by the agency during the crackdown . The syndicate allegedly operates melting facilities in the city to remove foreign markings from smuggled gold to prepare the valuables for further sale locally, the sources said.
The agency’s probe had begun on the receipt of specific intelligence that smugglers were trafficking gold from Africa to India via Mumbai airport and were planning to send the gold to a melting facility for subsequent sale in the city. Based on the intelligence, DRI searched the premises of a city-based melting facility whose examination led to the seizure of 9.31 kg of gold, including foreign-origin gold, in various forms, and 16.66 kg of silver. The DRI arrested the melting facility’s operator and a recruiter, suspected of being a key member of the trafficking syndicate whose work entailed coordination, including the provision of carriers and collecting smuggled gold for onward processing at the melting unit, the sources said.
The recruiter’s interrogation revealed that he was allegedly gathering smuggled gold from African nationals through carriers for the melting facility. The agency’s search at the recruiter’s office premises led to the alleged recovery of USD1,90,000, which had been paid to him by a purchaser under the agency’s scanner as an advance payment for delivery of smuggled gold. The purchaser is yet to be arrested, sources said. A DRI team had reached the office of the purchaser of the processed smuggled gold but it was allegedly decamped, the sources said. The agency had later arrested the two African nationals, from whom the accused recruiter had collected smuggled gold for processing, who were staying in two city hotels.
In March, the DRI had also busted another alleged gold-smuggling syndicate in the city, seizing 16.47 kilograms of gold valued at ₹10.48 crore and cash of ₹2.65 crore. The agency had nabbed six accused allegedly connected to the syndicate, including the alleged masterminds. The agency had begun its crackdown on the syndicate on receipt of specific information about its alleged involvement in smuggling gold and its sale in the illicit markets, after which the premise used for the sale/purchase of such smuggled gold was searched.
