Mangaluru: The officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, on 11.03.2020, intercepted 2 persons (Shri Syed Mohammed and Shri Ashoka K S,) Mangalore Central Railway Station and recovered 5.6 Kgs of gold bars in Crude form.
The operation was conducted based on specific information about a network of operators who were bringing smuggled gold in the form of crude bars from Calicut to Mangalore. The gold was then remelted and cast into 100 gms bars with foreign markings, using foreign marking moulds, and was then getting distributed to various locations in Karnataka. Further, one Manjunath Shet alias Rupesh who was supposed to receive the said gold from the passengers was also apprehended at the parking lot of the railway station.
Simultaneous searches were conducted in 3 different premises in car street Mangalore, Udupi, and Shimoga. Further, the source of the gold was traced to melters/jewellers in Calicut and swift follow up action was conducted leading to seizures of gold and Rs 82 lakh Cash. Two cars of Toyota Etios model belonging to the syndicate having specially designed cavities for concealment which were used for transporting cash and gold between Calicut and Mangaluru were also seized.
Overall 7 persons were arrested during the entire operation. Further investigation is ongoing in the said case to uncover the other persons involved in the racket.
The team constituted of 40 officers from Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Shivamogga took part in the coordinated effort. The total seizure was 9.3 Kgs of gold, valued at approximately 4 crores, 5.2 kgs of silver along with Rs 84 lakh in cash. Naveen Chandra Kamath of Udupi, who is the mastermind involved in the case was also apprehended
