Andhra Pradesh: Customs department confiscates Rs. 5.80 crore gold, Rs. 14 lakh silver

Vijayawada: In a major crackdown, officials of the Customs Department here arrested five people and confiscated gold worth Rs 5.80 crore and Rs 14.16 lakh silver.

The confiscated items, money is smuggled from Chennai to Andhra Pradesh, the police stated. Acting on a tip-off, the officials of the Customs Commissionerate at Vijayawada conducted search operation at a toll plaza on the national highway (NH).

During the search operation, the officials recovered 10.77 kg of gold from three cars. The officials said that this was the first time that gold in such a huge quantity was seized, The New Indian Express reported.

According to the press release issued on June 26, the Customs officials had received information about gold bars being smuggled from Chennai to Guntur and Rajamahendravaram. Following this, special teams intercepted three cars at Bollapalli Toll Plaza on Vijayawada-Chennai NH-16 on June 24.

The five arrested persons were sent to judicial remand and a case was registered against them under the Customs Act, 1962. Recently, in April 2022, following a tip-off, the Nallajarla police busted an illegal gold and cash smuggling racket. The cops had seized Rs. 4.76 crore cash and 352 grams of gold. As many as ten persons were arrested in this connection.

Similarly, in March 2022, Kurnool police seized gold biscuits, silver and cash worth Rs. 5 crore from a person who was carrying them in a private bus from Hyderabad to Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore. The accused was caught during the surprise inspection.