A Golden Amp! DRI bust Rs 20 Lakh worth Gold concealed inside Amplifier

A Golden Amp! DRI bust Rs 20 Lakh worth Gold concealed inside a Amplifier

Mangaluru: As per the details forwarded by Vinayak Bhat, Deputy Director-Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Mangaluru it is stated that, Mangalore Regional Unit-an Intelligence by the Officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Regional Unit, Mangalore (DRI) indicated that certain unscrupulous elements were indulging in smuggling of gold through Mangalore International Airport by using Kasargod based passengers as Carriers and were able to hoodwink the Customs scanning machines at the airport. The intelligence further indicated that after getting cleared from the airport, the carriers are handing over the contraband gold to an agent of the smugglers near Kankanady Pumpwell circle Mangaluru.

So, the officers of DRI sprang into action in the morning of 8 February upon learning that one such carrier had just landed at Mangalore International Airport by Jet Airways Flight No 9W 531 from Dubai and had rushed to Kankanady Pumpwell circle. While the officers waited, a Maruti Suzuki Alto car rushed in at high speed at around 9.45 am and stopped next to the Indian Oil Petrol Bunk, near Pumpwell. Another person who was waiting nearby, apparently for its arrival went towards the vehicle and while some negotiations were on between the person in the vehicle and the other man who had been waiting for him, the officers on strong suspicion surrounded and intercepted them.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the person who arrived in the car happened to be an International Passenger, by the name of Haris Panalam Mohammed Kunhi, who had just arrived from Dubai and after coming out of the airport had directly come to Pumpwell circle. Even the baggage tags were intact on the carton boxes which were kept on the back seat of the car. The identity of the other person waiting for the former was revealed to be one Faisal. Since both of them had no reasonable explanations about the business being transacted by them at the said place, they were brought to DRI office for further inquiry.

Upon examination of the contents of the baggage of Haris Panalam it was found that the suspected gold was concealed inside one portable wireless amplifier. Further detailed examination and testing resulted in the recovery and seizure of 698.200 grams of 24 carat gold plates of foreign origin valued at Rs. 20,24,780/-. It was found that the smugglers in an attempt to avoid detection during the customs check at the airport had melted and moulded the gold into thin plates and then cut them into the shapes of letter ‘E’ and ‘I’. These ‘E’ and ‘I’ shaped gold plates were then coated with mercury and tightly packed to fit into the transformer (coil) portion of the amplifier.

During the course of investigation both the accused admitted the offence committed by them. The passenger Haris Panalam Mohammed Kunhi stated that for the lure of money and free air tickets he agreed to carry the portable amplifier having gold plates concealed inside it, from Dubai to Mangaluru and after getting cleared from the airport, he had instructions to handover the item to Faisal who would be waiting near the Pumpwell circle, as per the prior arrangement. Faisal on his part admitted that he has been involved in similar smuggling operations on earlier occasions too and used to earn commission for his job of taking delivery of the smuggled gold and carrying it back to Kasargod where it would once again switch hands and through another agent reach the kingpin of the racket.

Both the persons were arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act 1962 and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangaluru who remanded them to ten days of judicial custody. Though, the arrests have put a temporary brake on the smuggling operations they are likely to revive after a few days of lull unless the key members of the gang are apprehended. All out efforts are being made and the investigation has been intensified to reach the top rung operators of the smuggling racket.