Man takes train route to smuggle gold, held

New Delhi: A gold smuggler with approximately 6 kilograms of gold bars has been apprehended by Delhi Police ( Railways ) at New Delhi Railway station. The market value of the confiscated gold is approximately Rs 3.25 crore. The recovered yellow metal has been confiscated under Section 111 of the Custom Act 1962, the police said on Friday.

On Thursday, a patrolling team at New Delhi Railway Station to keep surveillance over the passengers and maintain law and order was on Platform No. 16 where the Howrah Rajdhani Express had arrived around 10 am. The team noticed suspicious movement of a passenger and stopped him for questioning.

"Not able to get satisfactory answers, a preliminary enquiry found him in possession of gold bars. Customs officers were called on the spot and after a thorough search as per procedure, it revealed that he was carrying gold bars in cloth pouches specially made in the inner jacket and the cloth belt. The confiscated gold had the marking of IPMR, Gulf Gold Refinery and Valcambi Suisee (Switzerland)," said DCP Railways, Harendra Singh.

The accused Pravin Kumar Ambalal Khandelwal, 37 year resident of Gayatri Society, Dhanera, Banaskantha, Gujarat has been arrested.

The accused had received the gold from his accomplice in Kolkata and had boarded the train from Asansol, West Bengal. He had to further go to Mumbai to deliver the gold to the jewellers. To avoid detection at airports, train was used us a mode of transport and to avoid metal detectors, the Howrah Station was avoided.

"But the accused ran out of luck and what metal detectors could not do the sharp vigil eyes of the police personnel did. The brother of the accused has also been in the jewellery business having area of operations in Delhi and Mumbai," the officer added.