DRI Seizes Gold Worth ₹8.98 Crore Hidden in Car, Two Arrested in Visakhapatnam

DRI Seizes Gold Worth ₹8.98 Crore from Secret Car Compartment

5.83 kg of foreign-origin gold recovered; two arrested in Visakhapatnam

Hyderabad: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 5.83 kg of foreign-origin gold worth approximately ₹8.98 crore from a specially fabricated secret compartment in a car travelling from Kolkata to Hyderabad.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, DRI officials intensified surveillance along the national highway and intercepted the vehicle carrying two passengers at Visakhapatnam following a prolonged chase.

During an extensive search of the car, officials discovered a concealed cavity beneath the footwell of the front passenger seat. Three packets containing 5,832.90 grams of 24-carat gold with 999 purity were recovered from the secret compartment.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the gold had allegedly been smuggled into India through the India-Bangladesh border and was being transported to Hyderabad.

The seized gold was confiscated under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Both occupants of the vehicle were arrested and produced before the jurisdictional magistrate, who remanded them to judicial custody.

Further investigation into the gold smuggling network is expected to establish additional details about the source of the consignment and its intended recipients.