PRESS NOTE

      Based on specific intelligence collected by Chennai Zonal Unit of Directorate of
Revenue Intelligence (CZU-DRI) that two passengers arriving from Dubai to Chennai
by Air India flight No. 906 in the wee hours of 7 th October, 2013 will be bringing into
the country huge quantity of gold in bullion form by concealing the same in the aircraft,
the Chennai Zonal Unit (CZU-DRI) had kept surveillance on the airport, suspect
passengers, and prepared a detailed strategy to detect the smuggling of gold.







2.    CZU-DRI intercepted the two Sri Lankan national passengers soon after their
arrival at Chennai international airport from Dubai, and questioned them about the
gold brought by them from Dubai. Further, the DRI officers also kept surveillance on
two other Sri Lankan nationals who were about to board the same aircraft on its
domestic run from Chennai to New Delhi, as they were also suspect to have involved
in the smuggling. The passengers refused to have brought in gold or to have
concealed gold in any manner in the aircraft. However, upon through rummaging of
aircraft by the DRI officers, two black colour cam cord holder/bags found concealed in
the toilet of the aircraft were found out. Upon examination of the said cam cord
holders/bags it was found to contain 16 nos. of 1 kg. each gold bars carrying the
foreign mark "GGR- Gulf Gold Refinery". In total, 32 kgs. of gold bars (32 nos. X 1 kg.
each) valued at about Rs.9.50 crore has been seized by CZU-DRI.







3.    All the four persons have admitted to have smuggled the gold for consideration.
All the four Sri Lankan national passengers are being interrogated and further
investigations are on. They are being produced before the Magistrate for judicial
custody in terms of the provisions of Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962.
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