Summary:
Just last week, in multiple operations, the DRI had seized 100 kg gold bars worth over Rs 32 crore and arrested seven persons, including a Bhutanese national. NEW DELHI: Five Bhutanese nationals were arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday at New Delhi Railway station with 20kg of smuggled gold valued Rs 6 crore.This was not the first time that Bhutanese nationals have been caught, by an Indian agency, engaged in smuggling. "There has been a spurt in the number of seizures by DRI of gold being smuggled into India from China, Myanmar and Bhutan via the land border. Such smuggling of gold into India is expected to peak during the festive season due to increased domestic demand and high differential between the price of gold in India and the source countries," a senior DRI official said. "These seizures are part of the continued crackdown by DRI on gold smuggling and consequent leakage of government revenue, the black economy as well as foreign exchange was illicitly taken out of the country to make payments for such illegal import," a senior DRI official said..