Gold was concealed in Triangle Valves imported at the Air Cargo Complex of the Indira Gandhi International Airport
New Delhi: In a covert intelligence operation code-named “Golden Tap“, the officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted an air cargo consignment and 61.5 kilograms of seized smuggled gold valued at Rs. 32.5 crore concealed therein, at Delhi Air Cargo Complex on May 11, 2022
The consignment declared to contain Triangle Valves, had originated from Guangzhou, China, and had arrived at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport by a Japan Airlines flight.
After a thorough and prolonged examination which continued till early morning today, a large number of the imported triangle valves were found to have 24 karat gold concealed in them. The intricate method of concealment, which necessitated a careful and time-consuming extraction process, would have escaped detection had it not been for the specific intelligence gathered by DRI officers, the DRI stated today.
After an intensive examination, the officers were able to recover and seize gold, found to be of 99 per cent purity, from the consignment.
This detection came on the heels of other recent seizures of gold from air cargo and courier consignments made by the agency. These included the seizures of 11 kg of gold worth more than Rs. 5.88 crore in Lucknow and Mumbai in May 2022 and previous seizures of 16.79 kg gold, valued at Rs. 8 crores, from a courier consignment in July 2021, followed by the seizure of 80.13 kg gold, valued at Rs. 39.31 crore, in November 2021 from an air cargo consignment – both at New Delhi.
“DRI’s ability to detect such sophisticated modes of concealment is reinforced by these seizures and acts as a deterrent to those attempting to compromise India’s economic frontiers,” the DRI stated and asserted that it remains committed to continuing its relentless crackdown against the perpetrators of these crimes.
– global bihari bureau