Man arrested with gold worth ₹ 5.76 crore
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, April 25 2022:
Sleuths of Air Intelligence Unit of Customs Division, Imphal on Sunday arrested a 33 years old man and recovered 10.76 kg of gold (65 pieces) worth around Rs 5.76 crore from his possession at Imphal International Airport on Sunday.
The arrested man has been identified as Wangkhem Ibungobi Singha, son of late Wangkhem Babaton of Awang Khunou Maning Leikai, Patsoi.
Speaking to media persons in this regard at its Sangakpham office, Customs Division Imphal assistant commissioner HL Songate confided that Superintendent (A1U) Imphal Customs Division received specific information about one Ibungobi Singha, who is dark in complexion and travelling from Imphal to Delhi by Air Asia Flight on Sunday (between 9 am and 11:30 am) carrying gold in biscuit in his luggage.
Accordingly, the Air Asia staffers at Imphal International Airport were duly alerted, he recalled.
At about 10 am, a suspected passenger of Air Asia Flight No 15784 Imphal to Delhi (11.15 AM) namely Wangkhem Ibungobi Singha was detained near the X-ray counter.
Officials approached the said person and introduced themselves as Customs officers and enquired whether he has anything contraband in his luggage, to which he replied that the luggage was not his and that it was given by another person to carry it till Delhi for some monetary consideration, Songate said, adding that Customs sleuths opened the luggage in the presence of Air Asia staff and found 65 pieces of yellow metal, suspected to be gold of foreign origin, concealed in black plastics and wrapped in a blanket inside the luggage.
He said the gold bars are modified from the original ones for the convenience of smuggling.
The value of the seized gold weighing around 10.79 Kg is estimated to worth around Rs 5,76,72,550 .
Ibungobi was then arrested and a case registered under relevant section of the Customs Act, 1965, he continued, while adding that further investigation is on to nab other offender(s) .