CBI books six customs officers in Bengaluru in gold missing case

Bengaluru: The CBI has booked six customs officials in connection with the alleged disappearance of gold weighing 2.6 kg from a warehouse at the airport in the city.

The gold was seized at the Kempegowda international airport here from 13 passengers between June 8, 2012 and 26 March, 2014. On October 12, 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against two assistant commissioners, three superintendents of central tax and another officer.

In its report, the CBI stated that the Directorate of General Vigilance of Hyderabad Zonal Unit of Customs department had conducted an internal investigation and found the alleged involvement of the officials in seizure of gold and its deposit in the warehouse.

It was during their tenure at the Airport that the gold went missing. The six officers who were in charge of the mishandled baggage godown were entrusted with the gold seizure from the passengers, the CBI said.

“They abused their official position and did not carry out inventory of the gold and did not hand over the yellow metal received from the seizing officers to the MHB officers of the next shift,” the CBI said in its FIR.

All the six have been booked under section 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 120-B (Criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and 13(1)(c) (fraudulent misappropriation) and 13(2) (criminal misconduct) of the Prevention of Corruption Act-1988.