Aizawl, Jul 14(UNI): Smugglers have found an alternative route through Myanmar and Mizoram to get gold into Kolkata.
During the last one year, gold bars worth Rs 18.79 crore have been seized in Mizoram.
The latest seizure was made at Zokhawthar hamlet along the Mizoram-Myanmar border with 20 gold bars worth Rs 598 lakh from a person in Melbuk village on Tuesday.
On February 11,2016, the state excise & narcotics department seized 35 gold bars, weighing 5.817 kgs, in Champhai near the Myanmar border. The gold bars were worth Rs 143 lakh. One Myanmarese was arrested in this connection.
On May 17, 2016, central customs department seized 13.998 kgs of gold at Seling, smuggled from Myanmar. The gold bars were worth Rs 427 lakh in the international market. One Myanmarese national was arrested.
On June 11, the customs officials seized 46 gold bars, worth Rs 2,30,79,000, from a Guwahati-bound bus in Aizawl. Two Myanmarese nationals were arrested.
On October 13, 2016, gold bars worth Rs 450 lakh, were seized in Aizawl. The gold bars were smuggled from Myanmar and one Indian national was arrested in this connection.
During this year, two seizures of gold bars have been made. On February 8, Aizawl customs division, recovered gold bars worth Rs 31.2 lakh from a Guwahati-bound bus in Aizawl. Two Myanmarese nationals were arrested.
A customs department official remarked Myanmar has replaced the traditional smuggling routes like Dubai, Bangkok and Bangladesh. While the smuggled metal is sent all across the country, a portion of it remains in the Kolkata market as well. “It seems members of an organized racket are involved in smuggling the metal into India. All the carries have stopped at intermediate points like Guwahati and Siliguri before moving to Kolkata,” said the official.
The number of arrested Myanmarese nationals has increased in past three months. UNI
