PANJIM: Nine cases of seizure involving 13.08 kg of smuggled gold and 24 cases of seizure involving 22.33 kg of smuggled gold, was detected between April 2023 and June 2024, at the Manohar International Airport and the Dabolim International Airport (DIA) respectively, Lok Sabha was told in a written reply to South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes.
Three persons working at the Dabolim airport were booked in connection with seizure of 5,293 grams of smuggled gold paste on January 19, 2024, the Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said.
However, investigation in the above case had not revealed a link with anti-national elements operating from a foreign country, the Minister told Capt Fernandes.
To another supplementary whether any action had been initiated by the DRI against a complaint received regarding involvement of staff of a Goa Cabinet Minister in gold smuggling, the Union Minister of State informed that the contents of a complaint dated October 10, 2023 received in this regard was taken into consideration while developing intelligence on gold smuggling. Moreover, the DRI had increased the vigil at both the airports in Goa, he added.
