Custom officials in Shillong seized smuggled gold worth Rs 1.42 crore from a car at Diengpasoh, on the outskirts of the city which was on its way to Barpeta in Assam.
Acting on specific information that a sizable quantity of gold of foreign origin smuggled across the border would be carried in a car to Barpeta, officers of CCP Shillong intercepted a Maruti EECO van on December 13.
Custom officials said that the smuggled goods were concealed in a specially built cavity in the floor area of the middle seat of the van.
Twenty pieces of gold, which were packed and wrapped with black tape in four packets, were recovered. The total weight was 2331.82 grams valued at Rs.1.42 crores, officials said.
One person has been arrested and further investigation is in progress.
In a separate case, customs sleuths seized 50 bags weighing a total of 950 kgs of garlic of Chinese origin bearing the brand name, ‘HUAGUANG’ yesterday.
Officials said the garlic appears to have been smuggled across the border.
“Customs remains committed to combating all types of cross border crime involving smuggling of Gold, Cigarettes, drugs and narcotics, wild life articles, Fake Indian Currency Notes, import-export frauds and trade based money laundering. Customs works in close partnership with various other law enforcement agencies” an official statement reads.
Urging citizens to support the fight against cross border crime, smuggling and trade-based money laundering by giving information to customs, the statement said, names of informers are not only kept confidential, but there is an excellent reward scheme also, which is income tax free.
