6 persons arrested with 6.97 kg smuggled gold biscuits in Manipur

Imphal, Sep 16 : A combined team of customs division and Central Industrial Security Force at the Manipur's Imphal International Airport arrested six persons carrying with them 6.97 kg of gold biscuits stuffed inside their rectums.

The 35 gold biscuits valued at around Rs 1.79 crore were smuggled from Myanmar and were to be taken out to Kolkata in the Imphal-Kolkata-Delhi Indigo flight.

Deputy Commissioner of Customs Division at the airport Gaikhalung Panmei said: "We received some tip-offs on possible smuggling of gold. We checked the six persons and metal detectors beeped although they had nothing in their pockets. During close interrogation they confessed to carrying the gold biscuits in their rectums. All of them were formally arrested".

He further disclosed that the arrested persons have been identified as Rint Hyder and Mint Pal of West Bengal, Khol Singh and Dalhar Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, Niraj from Punjab and Rohit Bega of Delhi. Preliminary interrogation revealed that they are mere carriers and not owners of the gold.

Police said that smuggling of gold from Myanmar is a thriving business. Apart from use in the northeastern states a huge quantity is believed to be smuggled out to other states by air and road.

The accused persons and gold biscuits will be handed over to police.