The operation, which was fully supported by officers of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), and the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU), led to the discovery of approximately 240 ounces of virtually pure gold disguised as silver-plated jewellery, intended to be shipped out of the country without the necessary permits and declaration to Customs officials, with a value of over US$560,000.
The Authority said it continues to note the alarming trend in the efforts to smuggle items including gold, monetary instruments, arms, and narcotics through ports in Guyana. It reiterates that all such persons dealing in or contemplating engaging in such illegal activities to cease and desist therefrom, or face the consequences for their actions.
Gold disguised as silver-plated jewelry seized at CJIA.
UAE suspends 32 gold refineries in money-laundering crackdown
The United Arab Emirates temporarily suspended activities at 32 gold refineries as part of an effort to curb money laundering.
Officials determined that the plants committed a total of 256 violations, including not taking the necessary steps to identify risks, and not examining customer and transaction databases against names on terrorism watchlists.
Gold smuggling is an age-old practice, but it’s become all the more lucrative as the price of bullion has soared to record highs this year. Prices peaked at $2,483.73 an ounce in mid-July, supported by central bank buying, surging demand in China, geopolitical tensions and expectations of US monetary easing.
https://www.mining.com/web/uae-suspends-32-gold-refineries-in-money-laundering-crackdown/
Foreign-origin gold worth ₹2.5 cr seized
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Hyderabad unit, on Thursday arrested three persons from from Choutuppal on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad national highway for foreign-origin gold smuggling. The officials seized 3.5 kg of gold worth 2.5 crore from their possession.
Acting on a tip-off that smuggled foreign-origin gold was being transported by road from Chennai, officials intercepted three persons travelling in a car at Panthangi toll plaza in Choutuppal.
Cops said the three accused in the car concealed the gold in a specially made cavity under the handbrake, which could be opened through a latch next to the clutch.
Officers found three packages wrapped in brown tape containing five bars of 24 carat gold of 99.5% purity.
E-cigarettes worth ₹1.55cr seized in city
Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 10,540 e-cigarettes worth Rs 1.55 crore during a raid at a commercial building in C-scheme area in the city on Thursday.
This is the second major seizure by the DRI in a week, as part of their ongoing operation “Vape Out”. The operation aims to crack down on the illegal smuggling and selling of e-cigarettes in Jaipur.
The seizure was made possible after the interrogation of an accused, Sunil Kumar Sharma, who was arrested earlier with the illegal possession of 8,400 e-cigarettes.
A senior DRI officer said the seizures were a result of their ongoing efforts to curb the illegal trade of e-cigarettes in the city. E-cigarettes are being smuggled into Jaipur from countries like Dubai, Hong Kong and China, he said.
55 boxes of Karnataka liquor seized
Kosigi SEB police, Madhavaram Check Post Staff, and Yemmiganur SEB police seized a car containing 37 boxes of liquor and a autorickshaw with 18 boxes of liquor from Karnataka at Kalludevakunta Cross, Madhavaram Check Post in Mantralayam Mandal on Thursday. In total, 55 boxes of Karnataka liquor, equivalent to 5,280 tetra packets, were recovered. The individuals arrested include Majjiga Ramakrishna, Poli Veeresh, Adoni Sivashankar, Siva Raja, SK Mohammed, and Pinjari Maula. The raid involved Yemmiganur SEB circle-inspector P. Bhargava Reddy, Yemmiganur SEB sub-inspector Satyanarayana, and Kosigi SI Ramesh Babu, along with their staff.
Assam: STF seizes 22,000 boxes of foreign cigarettes in Kamrup, one arrested
Assam Police Special Task Force (STF) team led by Additional SP (STF) Kalyan Kumar Pathak seized 22,000 boxes of foreign cigarettes in the Amingaon area of Kamrup district, an official said. The seizure was made on Wednesday, July 31, and one person was arrested while three others were detained in connection with the incident.
Pranab Jyoti Goswami, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Assam Police, detailed the operation. Acting on intelligence input, the STF learned that foreign cigarettes, violating the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and tax norms, were to be transported from Silchar to Raipur, Chhattisgarh, in a truck bearing registration number HR-38Z-8530. The truck was intercepted in the Amingaon area.
“Upon searching the truck, we discovered 11 large cartons of foreign cigarettes concealed under furniture consignments. A total of 22,000 cigarette boxes, amounting to 4,40,000 individual cigarettes, were seized. The driver, Parashu Baishya, was apprehended,” said Goswami.
60K cigarettes, medical equipment confiscated
Officials of the Customs Department seized a huge quantity of cigarettes and medical equipment from passengers at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International (SGRDJI) airport here on Monday evening.
On advance passenger information system (APIS) profiling basis, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Amritsar, intercepted two passengers who had arrived at the airport on July 29 from Sharjah by an Indigo flight (6E1428). The checking of his luggage led to recovery of 30,000 sticks of cigarettes from each passenger totalling to 60,000 sticks of cigarettes valued at ~10, 20,000.
The nabbed passengers have been identified as Yasir and Sabudin. The smuggled cigarettes have been seized under relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation is under way.
Similarly, the AIU of the Customs Department seized medical equipment in commercial quantity having high market value. On APIS profiling basis, officers of AIU intercepted a passenger who had arrived from Sharjah by an Indigo flight (6E1428). During their search, the AIU officials seized 39 pieces of aspiration catheter and 11 pieces of heart valve.
The suspected goods have been seized under relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. The exact value of the specialised medical equipment is yet to be ascertained by the authorities. Further investigation is under process, said Customs Department officials.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/60k-cigarettes-medical-equipment-confiscated/
BSF seizes 10 gold biscuits from Indian woman’s footwear
he Border Security Force (BSF) seized ten gold biscuits worth over Rs 80 lakh from an Indian woman’s shoes during a routine check at the Indo-Bangladesh border gate.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning, when vigilant troops at BOP Srirampur of 61 Battalion BSF under Raiganj Sector in North Bengal Frontier were deployed at the border in Dakshin Dinajpur district.
The woman, a resident of Jamalpur and under the jurisdiction of Hili police station in South Dinajpur, was apprehended by a BSF female constable after some suspicious items were noticed in her footwear wrapped in black tape.
672 gram gold worth Rs 50 lakh seized at airport
The Customs Department seized 672 gram of gold worth Rs 50 lakh at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport last night. The gold was seized from a passenger who arrived from Italy.
According to information, the suspect arrived at the Amritsar airport from Milan, Italy, last night. Officials of the Customs Department said Neos flight number N 0534 landed at the Amritsar airport yesterday night.
They said a passenger’s luggage was checked during routine inspection. The customs staff recovered four gold bangles from his bag. During preliminary investigation, the passenger could not show the complete documentary proofs of the gold bangles.
Officials said the suspect had brought 24 carat raw gold by converting it into four bangles. When bangles were weighed, their weight was found to be 672 gram. Their estimated market value was around Rs 49,92,960. The gold was seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation was still in progress.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/672-gram-gold-worth-rs-50-lakh-seized-at-airport-641914/
3 held with 149 boxes of liquor
The police have arrested three persons with 149 boxes of illegal liquor. The police had got a tip-off about the liquor being smuggled in a truck near the Transport Area, Sector 26. They seized 40 boxes of McDowell’s brand and 109 of All Seasons from the truck. The accused, Tejinder Singh, Sandeep and Lakhwinder Singh, were arrested
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/chandigarh/3-held-with-149-boxes-of-liquor/