A cross-state gold smuggling network has been busted by the Meghalaya Police, who also detained five suspects from Assam and Meghalaya and found seven gold biscuits with foreign origin worth Rs. 50 lakh and Rs. 27 lakh in cash.
A passenger in a tourist taxi (Swift D’zire) travelling from Shillong to Guwahati in Meghalaya on June 24 had the gold biscuits recovered during a search operation by Nongpoh police acting on a tip-off, the director general of police of Meghalaya, L. R. Bishnoi, told the media today in Shillong.
Abu Bakkar, a resident of Assam’s Barpeta, was named as the offender. He had seven 24 carat gold biscuits of foreign origin stashed in his waistband. The seizure, which weighs 0.8 kg (800 grammes), is valued at Rs 50 lakh.
During questioning, the suspect admitted that he had received the gold biscuits from a person in Shillong to deliver to Siddique Ali and Shah Jahan in Barpeta, Assam.
In relation to the gold seizure, Meghalaya Police have detained five people thus far. Aziz Lyngdoh s/o A Hamid, Dhobighat, Laban in Shillong, Subali Kharbani of Mawlai in Shillong, and Abu Bakkar, Shah Jahan, and Siddique Ali from Barpeta in Assam have all been identified as the individuals in question. Additionally, the accused had ten cellphones, ATM cards and Fake ID cards were seized. A case has been opened in Nongpoh Police Station under Sections 120B/420/468/379/411/414/34 IPC (Case No. 122(6)22), and additional investigation is ongoing.
