Vijayawada: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a cross-border gold smuggling network operating along the Bangladesh-Kolkata-Hyderabad corridor, seizing foreign-origin gold and foreign currency valued at Rs 5.84 crore (yaani about Rs 5 crore 84 lakh) near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh and arresting five people, the agency said on Wednesday, October 21.

Acting on specific intelligence, officers of the DRI Hyderabad Zonal Unit and the Vijayawada Regional Unit intercepted a Scorpio vehicle on the outskirts of Vijayawada and found USD 60,000 and Euro 21,500 concealed in a secret cavity in the vehicle, according to the DRI release cited by Hyderabad Mail, Nation Press and The News Trust. The two occupants allegedly told officers they had delivered gold on the outskirts of Vijayawada and that the seized foreign currency was part of the sale proceeds from the smuggled gold, the agency said.

Acting on that disclosure, officers identified three alleged gold carriers travelling towards Hyderabad on a public bus and intercepted them at a toll plaza, recovering three foreign-origin gold bars weighing approximately 3.1 kg that had been kept in pouches tied around their waists. In total, the DRI recovered 3,147.1 grams of foreign-origin gold along with the foreign currency, the reports said.

All five accused, allegedly involved in procuring and transporting the contraband, were arrested and produced before the jurisdictional magistrate, who remanded them to judicial custody. The DRI said further investigation is in progress. The accused are alleged to have smuggled the gold from Bangladesh and transported it to Hyderabad via Kolkata; the allegations are yet to be tested in court.

Sources: DRI statement as reported by Hyderabad Mail, Nation Press and The News Trust (TNT).