PANAJI
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Goa, late Saturday busted a gold smuggling syndicate and arrested three persons for alleged illegal possession of 5.7kg gold and 28 units of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, all worth around Rs 3.92 crore.
According to the press statement issued, the DRI said that all the three accused -- Irfan, resident of Uttar Pradesh, Kamran Ahmed Gayasuddin Khan from Mumbai and Mohammed Irfan Patel of Gujarat -- had travelled from Abu Dhabi to Manohar International Airport, Mopa on Saturday.
DRI said that based on specific intelligence, DRI Goa officials intercepted three passengers who arrived from Indigo flight 6E-1506 from Abu Dhabi. During the search, the DRI officials found 7kg of gold paste (estimated quantity post retrieval of 5.7kg) and the 28 iPhones.
"The iPhones were wrapped in packets placed in the checked-in baggage while the gold paste was concealed in the waistband of a passenger and stitched to the inner layers of two passengers’ clothes,” DRI said.
All the three accused are arrested under relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and further investigation is in progress.
