11 kg gold recovered in Manipur

Imphal: Anti smuggling team of Customs Division, Imphal has recovered 69 gold biscuits from a vehicle at Thamnapokpi and apprehended three persons.

A specific information was developed on Tuesday by Anti smuggling team Customs Division, Imphal to the effect that gold biscuits will be carried and concealed inside avehicle, deputy commissioner Keerthishri S. said in a press statement on Wednesday.

On receiving the information, superintendent (Anti smuggling) and team rushed to Thamnapokpi and at about 7:45 pm. A Maruti —Eeco Van (dark grey) without any registration number displayed was intercepted and stopped by coordinating with customs preventive force, Pallel, he added.

On being questioned, the driver identified himself as Md. Wahidur Rahman, 51, son of Md. Habibur Rahman, resident of Lilong Haoreibi, MayaiLeikai, Thoubal. The antismuggling unit officers took the vehicle along with two other passengers and the driver to office premises for thorough checking, he said.

Search of the Eeco van was carried out and the next day 69 gold biscuits were from the Eeco Van.The weight of the recovered gold biscuits is found to be 11454 gm in total, he added.

In this connection, a case has been booked. The value of the gold biscuits and the van was estimated at Rs. 6,02,96,644.

Further investigation is going on to nab the other offender(s) of the case, the deputy commissioner said.