Guwahati: In a breakthrough, sleuths of the Customs Division, Imphal seized a total of 19 gold biscuits, valued at over Rs 1.99 crore, from two persons, including a coach driver of IndiGo Airlines, at Imphal International Airport in Manipur on Sunday (February 11).
Acting on reliable source information, officers of the anti-smuggling unit of the Customs Division, Imphal, went to the airport’s departure terminal, wherein the security staff of IndiGo Airlines detained a passenger and a coach driver of IndiGo Airlines with some unknown illegal item, a statement issued by the division’s Deputy Commissioner, Rajivkumar Yengkhom, read.
After reaching the airport, the customs officers detected as many as 10 gold biscuits of foreign origin. Subsequently, after a follow-up investigation and interrogation by the customs officers along with the staff of Indigo Airlines, another nine gold biscuits from the suspects from their belongings after a few hours.
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The duo has been identified as A Minaketan Sharma (28), the coach driver of Indigo Airlines, a resident of Bhrahmapur Aribam Leikai, under the jurisdiction of the Porompat police station, in Manipur’s Imphal East district, and the passenger, Maibam Priyobrata Singh (32), a resident of Nambol Kongkham Makha Leikai, Nambol ward number 8, Nambol sub-division, in the state’s Bishnupur district, the statement read.
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The total weight of the seized gold biscuits is 3.155 kilograms.
The total value of the contraband gold biscuits is estimated at Rs 1,99,20,664 as of Sunday’s market rate. The accused have been arrested under the relevant section of the Customs Act, 1962, and the gold biscuits have been seized at the Customs Divisional Office, Imphal, vide case number 19/CL/IMP/CUS/DPF/DCI, 2023-24, and dated 11.02.2024, the statement added.
Further investigation to nab other offender(s) of the case is underway, the statement further read.
Meanwhile, IndiGo has released a statement regarding the incident, stating that they are currently conducting an internal inquiry and affirmed their full cooperation with the investigation.
“During flight 6E 6716 from Imphal to Kolkata, an IndiGo employee noticed a passenger in possession of yellow metal. Further investigation revealed the involvement of a ground staff member from a partner agency. We are actively investigating the matter internally and will take appropriate action. Our full cooperation is extended to the authorities conducting the investigation,” said an IndiGo spokesperson.