Mangaluru: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials seized 1.5 kg smuggled gold from the possession of a KSRTC Airavat bus passenger at KSRTC bus stand in Bejai on Friday, November 8.
Acting on credible information that a person named Sibgatullah Kola, 31, from Bhatkal was in possession of smuggled gold and was travelling in KSRTC Airavat Bus from Bengaluru to Manipal, the DRI personnel intercepted the bus at Mangaluru KSRTC bus stand upon its arrival here and 1.5 kg of gold valuing Rs 59.52 lakh from his possession.
Sibgatullah Kola had deftly concealed 13 pieces of gold tola bars of foreign origin inside Marlboro brand cigarette packets. Upon being questioned, he failed to produce any receipt or purchase bills for the said gold tola bars. When asked to explain the source of the gold and the reasons for transporting the same in a clandestine manner, he stated that the said 13 gold tola bars were smuggled by him during his international travel from Dubai to Singapore and Singapore to Chennai.
During interrogation, he revealed that he had specifically chosen a roundabout journey from Dubai via Singapore to hoodwink the customs authorities since Singapore is not considered a hotspot for smuggling gold. He also stated that after getting cleared from Chennai International Airport, he took a bus from Chennai to Bengaluru and later from Bengaluru to Udupi and was on his way to Bhatkal when he was intercepted at the Mangaluru bus stand. He also stated that one person of Bhatkal origin had given him the gold and he was only a carrier. He also confessed about being involved in the smuggling racket to earn quick money
The contraband gold was later seized by the DRI sleuths under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. The value of the seized gold is estimated at around Rs 59.52 lakh, said DRI Mangaluru deputy director Shreyas KM.
