Gold worth Rs 3.19 cr seized in Kolkata, three held

Kolkata, Aug 29 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized eight kilograms of smuggled gold with an estimated value of more than Rs 3 crore from a vehicle in Kolkata and arrested three persons in this connection, an official from DRI's eastern region unit said on Thursday.Acting on a tip-off, the DRI officials mounted surveillance on the the Kona Expressway here on August 27 and intercepted a private car with three passengers. "Three persons travelling in a white Hyundai Verna car -- Munnawar Alam, Mohammad Faisal and Altaf were arrested after they confessed to carrying gold bars smuggled in from Bangladesh in a specially built cavity behind the arm rest in the back seat of the car," the official said. The vehicle has also been seized by the DRI. "On searching the vehicle, a total of eight gold bars and a gold cutpiece weighing over eight kilograms were seized from the improvised cavity in the back seats. Cost of the seized gold is estimated around Rs 3.19 crore," he said. The contraband and Indian currency worth Rs 13,900 were seized by the DRI under provisions of the Customs Act.
--IANS mgr/rs/bc