Anti-smuggling officials have busted a gang that sneaked in gold to the country from China in an alloy form. Authorities have arrested four people, including two Chinese nationals, and recovered gold worth nearly Rs 7 crore.
The syndicate mixed gold with silver and created decorative ashtrays, zips, clips and plates, said the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. The smuggled items were melted in a workshop in Dahisar to separate the yellow metal.
The arrested persons have been identified as 36-year-olds Wang Guangcan and Weng Shunzen of Fujian in China, and their Indian partners in crime – Qamar Abbas Sayed, 33, from Kurla and Khar resident Mihir Vikram Mehta.
"This molded form of alloy with silver and gold were embedded into various household items and sent through courier. The parcels were then declared to be containing goods like handbags, fruit trays and had the consignee details of a Marol address," said a DRI source.
A tip led the DRI officials on November 25 to a Marol flat that had been rented by Guangcan and Shunzen. Decorative alloy pieces apart, DRI also recovered some heating and melting devices from the apartment. A consignment of 216 high-end ashtrays from Hong Kong to Mumbai was also traced to the gang.
Metal plates containing 21 kg of gold, worth Rs 6.78 crore, and 35 kg of silver, valued at Rs 13.21 lakh, were recovered. "The Chinese nationals told us about a Dahisar unit where the metals were separated. We recovered equipment like furnace, melters, filters and 117 kg of white powder purported to be silver worth Rs 40 lakh," said a DRI official.
Guangcan told DRI that he had been sent to India by his employer. The official said, "Sayed was instrumental in receiving the consignments in Mumbai and Mehta provided the melting and refining plant."
Advocate Ravi Hirani, defence lawyer of the accused, said, "My clients have been falsely implicated in this case."
RS 7CR GOLD SEIZED
- 21 Kg of gold worth Rs 6.78 crore seized from the smuggling syndicate
- 35 Kg of silver worth Rs 13.21 lakh seized
- 4 arrested including 2 Chinese nationals
- Gold was brought in alloy form embedded into various items like handbags, fruit trays, ashtrays and zips
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