New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized a value of Rs. 43 crores smuggled gold and arrested eight persons at New Delhi railway station. The DRI officials seized 83. 6 kg gold bars from the accused.

The bars were allegedly being smuggled from Myanmar through the Moreh border in Manipur. The market value of the gold recovered by the DRI’s Delhi zone unit, said in a statement. The seizer followed the interception of eight passengers on Friday, who reached the capital by Dibrugarh- New Delhi Rajadhani Express and allegedly had 504 gold bars of 99.9 % purity of foreign origin in their possession. The gold bars were concealed in specially tailored cloth vests worn by the passengers.

The accused were found to be travelling with fake Aadhar cards. Sources said DRI imputs suggested the gold was smuggled into India as a smuggling syndicate operating from Guwahati was trying to dispose of the box in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. The eight have been arrested under Customs Act, 1962 and remanded to judicial custody. The recent spike in gold price and the customs duty imposed by the Government have resulted in a sharp increase in gold into the country in the last eight years or so.