Mumbai: Three held by DRI for ‘role in gold smuggling racket’

The accused were arrested in connection with a consignment that was intercepted on August 2 at International Courier Terminal in Mumbai. The interception had led to the recovery of 5.252 kg gold valued at Rs 2.33 crore.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence late Friday arrested three persons for allegedly being a part of an international gold smuggling syndicate.

The men, identified as Ayyambalath Razakh, Kader Mohideen and Prakash Dhariwal, were arrested in connection with a consignment that was intercepted on August 2 at International Courier Terminal in Mumbai. The interception had led to the recovery of 5.252 kg gold valued at Rs 2.33 crore.

The agency said that during the investigation they learnt that Razakh was handling the affairs of the gold smuggling syndicate while Mohideen and Dhariwal were an integral part of the racket.

Following the seizure on August 2, DRI officials came to know that the seized consignment was imported from Dubai on the name of one Arihant Tex and was to be delivered at its Chennai’s address.

“Following the seizure, a team was sent to the address in Chennai. After reaching there we learnt that a couple were running a tailoring business from that address. When we inquired with them, they told us they were operating from there for the past two years,” sources in the DRI said.

The couple said they had rented the place from one Prakash Dhariwal.

During further inquiry with regard to a company named Arihant Tex, the couple revealed that Dhariwal was operating that company from their rented address.

DRI officials then learnt that similar consignments had earlier been delivered at their address and Dhariwal would coordinate with the delivery boy and pick up the consignment the same day.

The agency subsequently summoned Dhariwal, who said that while the consignment was being delivered at his address, it was meant for a person named Viji and another arrested accused Kader Mohideen who would pay him Rs 1000 to collect the consignment on their behalf.

Subsequently, Kader was summoned for questioning, and he stated that he was approached by one Ayyambalath Razakh through Viji and asked for the import export code (IEC) of a GST registered company. Razakh was also called for questioning and confessed to knowing the role of Arihant Tex in the smuggling business. He said he got eight other consignments pertaining to Arihant Tex cleared in the past.

DRI officials were told that the consignment belongs to one Roshan, who is based in the UAE but is originally from Calicut in Kerala.

Razakh told DRI officials that he came in contact with Roshan through a friend, Sulaiman Purayil, and he received Rs 30,000 for clearance of every consignment.

After ascertaining the facts of the racket through their statements, DRI officials arrested Razakh, Mohideen and Dhariwal under section 135 of Customs Act 1962. The trio were brought to Mumbai on transit remand. They were produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Sunday and remanded in judicial custody till August 27.

Source: Read Full Article