Kochi: Sleuths of the Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) on Tuesday foiled yet another bid to smuggle gold into the country through Cochin International Airport Ltd (Cial). The team seized 871g of gold in compound form from a carrier who arrived here. According to sources, the passenger had arrived at the airport from Dubai. “On the basis of profiling, officers of the AIU Batch intercepted the passenger from Dubai. During examination, four capsule-shaped packets, suspected to be gold in compound form, were found concealed inside his body. The recovered goods were seized and further investigation in the case is in progress,” said an officer.Customs identified the passenger as Anas, a Palakkad native. The gold, once extracted, is expected to have a value of Rs 44.9 lakh.
DRI seizes electronics worth Rs 80 crore at Mundra SEZ
AHMEDABAD: A team of the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) seized electronic goods, e-cigarettes, mobile accessories, branded shoes and branded watches from within the Mundra Special Economic Zone (SEZ).The seized goods are estimated to have a market value of Rs 80 crore. Investigators said the goods were mis-declared as garment accessories and women’s footwear with a declared value of Rs 1.5 crore.
Officials said specific intelligence was developed on a consignment originating in China. Based on the information, six suspect containers were identified and examined. The containers were found to have 33,138 earphones and batteries for mobile phones, 4,800 e-cigarettes, 7.11 lakh pieces of electronic goods and accessories (batteries, wireless kits, laptop batteries etc.), 29,077 branded bags, shoes and cosmetics, 53,385 branded watches, and 58,927 pieces of automobile parts. The goods were seized under provisions of the Indian Customs Act, 1962.
1.6kg of gold, electronic goods seized from passengers at Chennai Airport
CHENNAI: Customs officers at Chennai airport have seized 1.6 kg of , worth Rs 85 lakh, and assorted electronic goods from passengers who tried to smuggle them into the country. On Tuesday, a passenger who arrived from Dubai via Sri Lanka was intercepted on a tip-off. A search led to the seizure of gold designed like the contact pins in electrical plugs. There were 27 such pins hidden in adaptors. A gold bit hidden in his undergarments, six refurbished laptops and 57 mobile phones were also seized. On Wednesday, 509 gram of gold in paste form was recovered from the rectum of a passenger who arrived from Dubai. A gold ingot weighing 348 gram was seized from a passenger who arrived here from Dubai in another flight.
4 held for sandalwood smuggling in Karnataka
BENGALURU: A gang of four was arrested for allegedly smuggling sandalwood from Huliyurudurga in Tumakuru district and trying to sell it in Bengaluru.
The accused are Ponnaraj alias Ponna, 35, Druvakumar alias Druva, 29, Siddappa KV, 27 and Harish KN, 34.
Police seized 330kg of sandalwood worth over Rs 6.5 lakh and mini-goods vehicle from them. The accused told police they had stolen sandalwood from Huliyurudurga and were
DRI expresses concern over increased cigarette smuggling; warns smokers against cheap sticks
Officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have expressed concern over cigarette smuggling in a report, saying that high incidence of tax on the sin good is resulting in a tax arbitrage in favour of smuggling. It said the smuggled cigarettes are, on an average, 50 per cent cheaper in the Indian market as compared to the the similar domestic brands. From a public health perspective, the smuggling of cigarettes also poses a serious challenge since a part of the smuggled cigarettes are counterfeits and the quality of tobacco and other ingredients used in them, is inferior, it added.
During 2021-22, 11 crore sticks valued at Rs 93 crore were seized by DRI officers. While 47 per cent of this originated from Myanmar, 22 per cent came from the UAE and 31 per cent from others. The report said COVID-19 pandemic has forced the policymakers and the businesses worldwide to thoroughly revisit their prevalent policy/business models. The same holds good for smugglers and contraband traffickers as well.
Lear MoreDRI expresses concern over increased cigarette smuggling; warns smokers against cheap sticks
Officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have expressed concern over cigarette smuggling in a report, saying that high incidence of tax on the sin good is resulting in a tax arbitrage in favour of smuggling. It said the smuggled cigarettes are, on an average, 50 per cent cheaper in the Indian market as compared to the the similar domestic brands. From a public health perspective, the smuggling of cigarettes also poses a serious challenge since a part of the smuggled cigarettes are counterfeits and the quality of tobacco and other ingredients used in them, is inferior, it added.
During 2021-22, 11 crore sticks valued at Rs 93 crore were seized by DRI officers. While 47 per cent of this originated from Myanmar, 22 per cent came from the UAE and 31 per cent from others. The report said COVID-19 pandemic has forced the policymakers and the businesses worldwide to thoroughly revisit their prevalent policy/business models. The same holds good for smugglers and contraband traffickers as well.
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BSF seizes containers with mobile phones floating in river along India-B’desh border, worth Rs 38 lakh
Malda (West Bengal) [India], October 9 (ANI): The Border Security Force’s (BSF) 70 Battalion troops under South Bengal Frontier, deputed at Border Out Post Lodhia, seized 317 mobile phones floating in the Pagla River worth Rs 38 lakh on Saturday evening on the International Border (IB).
According to BSF, the seizure was based on the basis of accurate information received from BSF intelligence sources.
“On October 8 2022, at 1730 hrs, the troops of the Border Out Post Lodhia, 70 Battalion under South Bengal Frontier, seized 317 mobile phones while floating in the Pagla River,” the BSF said in a statement.
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Assam Turns Into Transit Point For Gold Smugglers
GUWAHATI: The recent gold seizures across India by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) indicate a spurt in the smuggling of gold through the north-eastern borders of Bangladesh and Myanmar, and in the entire process Assam turns into a main transit point for the smugglers. The state also is a market for international smugglers.
While the porous neighbouring borders have been used for smuggling in the past, 11 cases of gold seizures of 121 kg in September 2022 alone show that the North East corridor is still extensively being used by smugglers deploying ingenious ways of concealment, read a Union Ministry of Finance release.
https://www.guwahatiplus.com/exclusive-news/assam-turns-into-transit-point-for-gold-smugglers?jr=on
Lear MoreEight held in Mulugu with Rs 1.65 crore in fake currency in Telangana
After thoroughly checking the two vehicles, police found that the eight accused were carrying demonetised and fake notes and took them into custody.
MULUGU: Venkatapuram police on Thursday arrested eight members of a gang that was peddling counterfeit currency and seized demonetised and fake notes with a face value of Rs 1.65 crore. Police also seized nine mobile phones and two cars from the culprits.
Speaking to the media, Mulugu SP Sangram Singh G Patil said that based on a tip-off that fake and demonetised currency is being transported for circulation, Venkatpuram police were conducting vehicle checks along with CRPF personnel, when two cars stopped at some distance and started turning back.
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Five smuggling attempts foiled, Rs 4.73-cr gold seized at Hyderabad airport over two days
Gold smuggling has been rising around Diwali over the past few years, says a Customs official.
Customs officials at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Friday foiled three gold-smuggling attempts when they intercepted and arrested three flyers from Dubai, taking the number of foiled attempts this week to five. The officials said a total of 8,995g of gold, valued at Rs 4.73 crore, had been seized.
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