Kannauj (UP), Aug 23 (PTI) Two persons, including a Nepali national, were detained after 10.026 kg of 24-carat gold estimated to be worth over Rs 15 crore was recovered from their vehicle, which was involved in an accident on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway here, police said on Sunday.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) authorities, who were informed about the recovery by police, suspect the detained persons could be part of an international gold smuggling racket.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinod Kumar said a team from the Talgram police station was returning after vehicle-checking and kanwar duty on Saturday when it was informed that a car had collided with a police vehicle on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.
He said the police team reached the spot and found two persons — Sandeep Jaiswal (29) of Maharajganj district and Saroj Pant (33) from Nepal.
During a search of the vehicle, police recovered a bag containing 10 yellow-metal biscuits. The two men were asked to produce documents, bills or licences relating to the gold, but they could not provide any valid papers, Kumar said.
An authorised gold evaluator from the State Bank of India was called to determine the nature, purity and value of the seized metal. It was found to be 24 carat gold with a total weight of 10.026 kg and an estimated market value of Rs 15.39 crore, the SP said.
In view of the quantity and high value of the seizure, police informed the GST authorities, who questioned the two men.
The GST team prima facie suspected that the case could involve international gold smuggling, particularly in view of the fact that one of the detained persons is a Nepali national, and recommended a detailed investigation by the Customs Department, Kumar said.
A Customs team subsequently reached the Talgram police station and questioned the two men. The seized gold was handed over to the Customs Department for further legal action, he said.
Samajwadi Party president and Kannauj MP Akhilesh Yadav claimed in a social media post that police did not disclose the full amount of gold seized.
Police had chased the suspected smugglers and recovered 26 gold biscuits weighing 1 kg each during the search, but displayed only 10 biscuits, he alleged.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also attacked the BJP government, saying the route from Nepal to Gorakhpur and then to Delhi was part of the “double-engine’s double black business”. PTI COR ABN DIV DIV
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