Arrested jewellers bust golden nexus with Myanmar

  • | Friday | 11th January, 2019

Previously, Indo-Nepal border was used and now it is the Myanmar border as it is not possible to smuggle large quantities via air route.” In another case in February, DRI seized 4.65kg gold worth ?1.43 crore at Nellore railway station. HYDERABAD: The gold being smuggled into city has a close link with gold refineries near the porous border with distant Myanmar . The smuggled gold bars in cylinderical shape worth ?77 lakh and weighing 2.4kg were said to have originated in Myanmar and being transported to Chennai. Gold worth around Rs 62 lakh was seized from him.

HYDERABAD: The gold being smuggled into city has a close link with gold refineries near the porous border with distant Myanmar . And two city jewellers have been identified as masterminds by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The duo, Pukhraj Jain of Sri Ganesh Jewellers in Habsiguda and Gautam Rawal of Khushi Bullion from Pot Market in Secunderabad, are alleged to have been running the racket by using their employees as mules to transport gold to Hyderabad via Guwahati and Visakhapatnam The DRI, which busted the racket and seized 3.3 kg gold worth Rs 1 crore in Vizag on Jan 4, arrested Rawal on Thursday and produced him before the economic offences wing (EOW) court in the port city. Threeothers — Jain, the two carriers Praveen and Ghewar Ram — who were arrested earlier are out on bail. The two jewellers were arrested based on the confession of Praveen and Ram who were picked up from Guwahati-Secunderabad Express train at Vizag station.Investigations revealed that the carriers were paid paltry sums of Rs 1,000 per trip apart from the fare and food expenses.The DRI has now put the focus on Pot Market in Secunderabad where the accused jewellers were allegedly smuggling gold biscuits in violation of the provisions of the Customs Act.Jain of Sri Ganesh Jewellers denied any wrongdoing. “I am not involved in any gold smuggling. I was let off on bail. It is a case of mistaken identity,” Jain said while refusing to give further details.The mobile phone of jeweller Rawal was switched off and his staff in the shop denied any knowledge.At least 25kg of gold, seized by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar since 2018, were of Myanmar origin. The gold mine refineries near the porous border have been identified as the source of smuggled gold and smugglers opted for this land route after law enforcement agencies stepped up vigil on the Dubai and Gulf air route and west coast sea route.DRI identified Myanmarbased gold refineries on the borders of Mizoram and Manipur from where around 25kg smuggled gold was caught in the past one and a half year.According to sources in DRI, citizens are allowed free movement on the Indo-Myanmar border for 16km on both sides without a visa and smugglers are taking advantage of the porous border. The smuggled gold reaches Guwahati by road from the Indo-Myanmar border and from there it is taken to Hyderabad, Chennai and other Metro cities by train. Most of the carriers are using Guwahati-Secunderabad trains to smuggle the yellow metal.On February 7, 2018, DRI intercepted a passenger travelling from Guwahati to Chennai in DBRG MS Express at Rajahmundry railway station and found gold stuffed in molten forms in screwdrivers. The smuggled gold bars in cylinderical shape worth ?77 lakh and weighing 2.4kg were said to have originated in Myanmar and being transported to Chennai. In another instance, on February 5, 2018, DRI had intercepted a passenger at Khurda Road in Odisha while he was travelling on a special train from Guwahati to Chennai and was found carrying 15 gold biscuits with Myanmar markings weighing 2.4kg and valued at around ?76 lakh.DRI at Vizag airport had also seized 2kg of gold on September 23 last year. The accused confessed that they were smuggling gold to Chennai and it was smuggled from TIO (Khwamawi-Zokhawthar border). Gold worth around Rs 62 lakh was seized from him. In another case in February, DRI seized 4.65kg gold worth ?1.43 crore at Nellore railway station. The accused was travelling from Guwahati to Tambaram by Guwahati MS Express, Sashatra Seema Bal former Director General M V Krishna Rao told TOI: “Assam Rifles personnel are deployed near Indo-Myanmar borders. However, smugglers take advantage of the porous border. Previously, Indo-Nepal border was used and now it is the Myanmar border as it is not possible to smuggle large quantities via air route.”

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