The Anti-Smuggling Unit of Customs Division, Imphal, in two separate operations, arrested two individuals along with 13 gold biscuits of ‘foreign origin’ worth Rs 67 lakhs on Wednesday.
In a joint operation conducted along the porous Indo-Myanmar border near Sunrise club at Moreh town, the Anti-Smuggling Unit of Customs Division, Imphal and central para-military forces arrested a woman Amina Banu (50) of Moreh ward number 5 along with ten gold biscuits around 4.45 pm on Wednesday. Assistant Commissioner RK Darendrajit Singh of Customs Division, Imphal said, “The estimated value of gold biscuits of ‘foreign origin’ weighing around 1660 grams is Rs 51,75,880.”
In the second incident, the customs officials stationed at Pallel town, about 50 km south of Imphal along Imphal-Moreh route, recovered another 3 gold biscuits weighing about 500 grams worth Rs 15,52,764 from an Imphal bound Maruti Van (MN 01 S 9775) on its way from Moreh around 6.30 pm on Wednesday.
One Md Sarif Khan (19) of Moreh ward number 5 has been apprehended in this regard, the Assistant Commissioner Darendrajit of Customs Division Imphal added. So far the unit has booked 16 gold cases worth Rs 5.3 crore from April 2018.
On June 2, the customs also seized eight gold biscuits (1328 grams) of ‘foreign origin’ worth around Rs 41 lakhs from the possession of two individuals from MG Avenue located in the heart of Imphal town.
Similarly on May 26 and 31, the Customs officials seized five gold biscuits each from the possession of two persons. They had also arrested two individuals along with 12 gold bars worth Rs 62 lakhs on May 25.