Court remands gold smuggler to judicial custody
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 17 2022:
The Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal West remanded 21 years old Huirdom Mani, who was arrested along with 61 gold bars from Sekmai Bazar yesterday to judicial custody today.
Reportedly, a team of Customs Division Imphal led by Superintendent (Anti Smuggling Unit) Customs Division K Nilakanta apprehended an Eeco van at around 5 pm yesterday based on a specific report about illegal transportation of gold bars.
On spot verification, the driver was identified as Huidrom Mani (21), s/o Huidrom Roneshwar of Elangkhangpokpi Mayai leikai and the driver claimed that he wasn't carrying any gold biscuit of foreign origin.
The officers of Customs Division Imphal took the vehicle along with the three other passengers and the driver of the Eeco Van to their office located at Sangakpham for through checking.
At the office, a thorough search of the Eeco was carried out and on checking the cylindrical pipe supporting the dashboard of the Eeco Van, 61 gold biscuits of foreign origin wrapped in black and green adhesive tape were recovered, following which Huidrom Mani was arrested by observing necessary formalities under Section 104 Customs Act 1962 .
The seized gold biscuits weigh around 10.126 kilograms and worth around Rs 5,20,88,144.Further investigation to nab other offenders in connection with the case is on, said sources.
The accused was produced before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal West by a team of Customs Division Imphal along with a prayer for judicial custody remand.
The Court on perusal of the case record and after hearing the submission of the IO remanded the accused to judicial custody for smooth investigation of the case.