The smuggling was conducted by an organised gold smuggling syndicate, code-named ‘Gold on the Highway’ on two oil tankers and a truck which were travelling separately from Mao, Manipur, stated PIB in a release.

It stated that acting on the basis of specific intelligence, officers of DRI mounted discreet surveillance on the two oil tankers and the truck, and they were intercepted simultaneously at different points along the national highway between Dimapur and Guwahati.   

After intensive examination of the intercepted vehicles, 96 pieces of gold biscuits weighing a total of 15.93 kilograms that had been carefully concealed in different parts of the three vehicles were seized, it stated. Five persons of the syndicate have been arrested and further investigation is in progress, it added.    

In the fiscal year 2021-22, the DRI has seized 833 kilogram of gold valued at Rs. 405 crore during its operations across the country, of which the North-Eastern states, DRI has seized more than 208 kilogram gold valued at Rs. 102.6 crore smuggled through the highly sensitive Indo-Myanmar and Indo-Bangladesh border, it mentioned.

Stating that DRI’s ability to effectively detect and affect such seizures acts as a deterrent to those attempting to compromise India’s economic frontiers, it stated, “DRI remains committed to continuing its relentless crackdown against the perpetrators of such crimes,” it added.