The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), as part of its sustained crackdown on organised gold smuggling, has uncovered a new and sophisticated modus operandi involving the unaccompanied baggage channel. The network relied on insiders, including warehouse personnel, and intermediaries to retrieve smuggled gold from cargo and pass it to the intended recipient.
Based on specific intelligence, officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted an unaccompanied baggage consignment at Air Cargo Complex, Trivandrum . Detailed examination of the baggage resulted in the recovery and seizure of 6.28 kg foreign origin gold valued at Rs. 9.18 crore, ingeniously concealed inside various hardware items.
The gold was concealed inside various hardware items, including a floor spring, metal locks, a grease gun and a door closer. The modus operandi involved, packing these hardware items along with other articles in a trolley secured with a number lock whose combination had been pre decided among the members of the syndicate. The trolley was shipped as unaccompanied baggage from Dubai to Trivandrum. Upon arrival, the warehouse staff member would open the trolley using the pre decided combination, retrieve the hardware items containing the concealed gold, and hand them over to the mediator, who would, in turn, deliver the same to the receiver.
Simultaneous searches conducted in connection with the operation led to the apprehension of three persons allegedly involved in the smuggling syndicate: a warehouse staff member tasked with retrieving the hardware items containing the concealed gold, a Customs Broker acting as a mediator, and a receiver who had travelled to Trivandrum to take delivery of the gold. All the three were arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
DRI remains committed to expose novel sophisticated modus operandi and bust the smuggling networks through intelligence led operations.