The son of a former Manipur MLA was arrested by DRI officials with Rs 2.16 crore worth of gold that was smuggled into the country from Myanmar, an official statement said today.
The accused, a resident of Tuirial in Mizoram's Aizawl, was apprehended at the Burrabazar area here on Saturday by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers.
"Forty pieces of gold biscuits of foreign origin, weighing 6.64 kg and valued at about Rs 2.16 crore, smuggled into India from Myanmar through the northeast has been recovered from his backpack and seized," it said.
The accused lived in a rented flat in North Kolkata. He is a college drop out and is the son of a former MLA from Manipur, the statement issued by the DRI said.
"Preliminary investigation by DRI sleuths revealed that this was not the first time he had indulged in such illegal smuggling activities. He confessed that the lure of easy money and lack of employment made him commit this crime," it said.
Few days back, acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers apprehended two people travelling by the Howrah-bound Kamrup Express at the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station.
On a search, 24 pieces of gold biscuits collectively weighing 3.9 kg and valued at Rs 1.26 crore were recovered from them, the DRI said.
The gold biscuits were concealed inside the handle of their trolley bags, it said.
The biscuits were believed to be smuggled into India from Myanmar through the Zowkhatar- Aizwal-Guwahati route and was destined for Kolkata.
The gold biscuits were seized and the duo arrested.
In the current fiscal, till date, in West Bengal and the northeastern states, the DRI has seized over 273 kg of gold valued at close to Rs 81 crore in the market.
These were smuggled from Bangladesh, Myanmar and even Bhutan, the statement said.
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