The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)
seized 16.34 kg of smuggled gold, valued at Rs 5.37 crore, in three separate
operations and arrested six people, according to an official, here on Saturday."In three
separate operations by DRI sleuths, 16.34 kg of smuggled gold valued at Rs 5.37
crore was seized and six people were arrested," an official said. "Acting on a tip-off, the agency
arrested Mahesh Rai and Regina Farchinsungi alias Rita Maisek from a hotel in
the Sudder Street, Kolkata, and recovered 4.98 kg gold, valued at Rs 1,65 crore. The gold was
smuggled from Myanmar through the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur," the DRI
official said.In second operation, the agency arrested Isaac Lalpekhlua from a guest house in the
Salt Lake area and recovered 3.326 kg gold, valued at Rs 1,09 crore, also
smuggled from Myanmar through the Mizoram border.In the third operation in the Bara Bazar area, DRI
sleuths recovered 8.048 kg gold valued at Rs 2.63 crore along with Rs 75.3 lakh
cash. The recovery was made from a metallic vault and a hand bag. While the search operation
was on, one person came to deliver gold and was apprehended, the official
said.Three persons namely Raju Dutta, Chiranjit Dutta and Suman Saha have been arrested. The gold
had been smuggled in from Bangladesh.With this seizure, the DRI has seized 431
kg of gold, including ornaments, valued at Rs
135 crore in 2018-19 from the region, spread over West Bengal and the
north-eastern states. Seized gold is believed to been smuggled in from
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and
China through land borders.