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Four men, customs officer nabbed in Chennai for smuggling gold worth Rs 8 crore

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized gold worth nearly Rs 8 crore on Saturday at the Chennai airport. Five men, including a customs officer posted at the airport have been arrested by the Directorate. Reportedly part of a smuggling ring, the officials found 23 kg of foreign marked gold bars with the men.

According to one report in the Times of India, a statement by the DRI on Sunday mentioned that the men had travelled to the city from Singapore and Malaysia. The Directorate said that the customs officer on duty at the airport was preparing to allow the passengers to pass undetected, even as he waited to receive the hold from them. The gold was reportedly meant for a recipient from Chennai.

According to one report in The Hindu, searches were carried out at the residence of the unnamed recipient as well at his family’s home nearby. The Directorate said that the searches yielded 10.2 kg of smuggled gold and Rs 24.43 lakh in cash.

Deccan Chronicle reports that searches were also carried out at a grey-market shop owned by the recipient. Authorities said that the DRI recovered 48 drones (import-restricted) estimated to be at about Rs. 23 lakhs in addition to several high-end cameras and accessories.

The arrested passengers too were in possession of high value cameras and accessories.

According to the newspaper, the four passengers and the customs officer admitted their involvement in the smuggling of gold and other goods on multiple occasions.

While the recipient of the gold is reportedly on the move, the customs police have booked the five men under the provisions of the Customs Act. They have been remanded to judicial custody. The Directorate said that further investigation was underway.

Source: The News Minute