NIA arrests 'most wanted' accused in 2020 Jaipur gold smuggling case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a Rajasthan man wanted in a case related to the seizure of 18.56 kg of gold bars, being smuggled from Saudi Arabia, at the Jaipur airport in 2020, an official said.

The gold bars with a market value of more than Rs 9 crore were seized while being smuggled from Riyadh as part of a criminal conspiracy to smuggle gold into India to derail the country’s economic security and monetary stability, the agency said.

Mohabbat Ali, a resident of Rajasthan, was the most wanted accused in the case and had been on the run since September 2020. A Red Corner Notice (RCN) and a Look Out Circular (LOC) were issued against him, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

The gold bars had been concealed in a battery of emergency lights for smuggling into India by the accused – Mohabbat Ali, Subhash, Md Maqbool Sheikh, Chuna Ram and Amjad Ali.

The NIA filed a charge sheet against Mohabbat Ali on March 22, 2021 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The agency declared Mohabbat Ali as the ”most wanted” accused and announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh on information leading to his arrest.

He was declared a proclaimed offender on March 17, 2021 by a special court and a non-bailable warrant was also issued against him, the spokesperson said, adding an LOC was opened in 2021 and a Red Corner Notice was issued against him on September 13, 2021.

The NIA’s investigation revealed that Mohabbat Ali had provided the gold bars to Subhash and Maqbool Sheikh to be carried from Riyadh to Jaipur, the official said.