56 gold 'couriers' land in DRI net

June 23, 2015

Hyderabad, Jun 23: A free trip to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur with an added cash incentive on return spelt trouble for 56 people when they landed at Visakhapatnam International Airport late on Sunday.

DRI netThe passengers were used as “couriers” by a gold smuggling cartel based in Tamil Nadu to bring the yellow metal into the country from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) stated.

In all, the 56 passengers were carrying 63 kg of gold, valued at Rs 16.85 crore, which was concealed inside the walls of microwave ovens, mini-washing machines, induction stoves, laptops and sound systems.

They arrived at the airport by three different flights – Air Asia 83 and Malindo 251, both from Kuala Lumpur, and Silk Air MI442 from Singapore – between 9:10 pm and 11:00 pm.

Most of the passengers are from Madurai, Chennai, Puducherry, Coimbatore and Tiruchirapalli. They are not frequent fliers. Some are also school teachers and employees of various organisations.

The passengers were carrying gold in various shapes resembling parts of electronic goods such as magnets in amplifiers, speaker stand, central pulley of washing machine and trolley rods to conceal the precious metal in a meticulous manner so that it can escape physical and X-ray detection by Customs officials at the airport, the DRI stated.

The cartel shifted the landing airport to Visakhapatnam from major airports like the Shamshabad airport here after the Customs department tightened vigil.

Unluckily for these passengers, the DRI Chennai unit had tipped-off Visakhapatnam airport Customs officials about the smuggling.

As Air Asia flight landed at 9:10 pm, Silk Air at 10:05 pm and Malindo flight at 11 pm on Sunday, Customs officials were ready for a thorough search.

Suspects were identified and their baggage was segregated for detailed examination. Almost everyone was carrying some electronic item or a consumer durable.

The gold concealed in their baggage in various forms and shapes were identified and confiscated and all 56 of them were detained, according to Customs officials.

They will be shifted to Chennai where the DRI will subject them to further interrogation, the officials added.

Earlier, most of the gold was smuggled from Dubai through popular carriers known as “Kasargod electricians.”

The Customs department at Shamshabad airport had detected gold smuggled in the form of suitcase hand grips metal wheels and also by women in their clothing.

The couriers, instead of landing at Mumbai, often came to Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Pune, and went back by road or rail.

The couriers are paid Rs 10,000 for every 500 grams of gold they bring in plus the day’s expenses and return journey tickets, said a senior customs officer at Shamshabad airport.

“The catch is a result of increased international flight connectivity at the Visakhapatnam airport,” said Principal Commissioner of Customs C Rajendiran.

Before Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated, there were hardly 50 international passengers form Dubai travelling to Visakhapatnam via Shamshabad airport.

According to Customs officials in Visakhapatnam, the numbers have gone up to 1,683 and the number of outgoing passengers shot up to 1,963.

Similarly, there is a spurt in the quantity of the precious metal seized at Visakhapatnam International Airport.

In 2013-14, Customs officials confiscated 6.67 kg of gold worth Rs 2.01 crore, in 2014-15, 7.62 kg gold worth Rs 2.04 crore was seized and until this operation in 2015, 11.06 kg of gold worth Rs 3.06 crore has been confiscated.

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News Network
May 10,2020

May 10: Delhi recorded five more deaths due to coronavirus, while 381 fresh cases of the virus were reported, the city government said on Sunday.

With the fresh cases, the virus tally in the national capital has climbed to 6,923.

Between midnight of May 8 and midnight of May 9, five fresh fatalities due to the virus were reported, taking the death toll to 73, the government said in its health bulletin.

While there are 4,781 active cases of the virus in the city, 2069 patients have so far recovered from COVID-19.

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News Network
March 9,2020

Kolkata, Mar 9: A diabetic man died in the isolation ward of a hospital in West Bengal's Murshidabad on Sunday, a day after he was admitted there with suspected symptoms of coronavirus following his return from Saudi Arabia.

According to doctors, he was admitted to the hospital with fever, cough and cold.

Though test results of his blood and swab samples for novel coronavirus were awaited, it can be said that he died probably of diabetes, Director of Health Services Ajay Chakraborty told PTI.

"The man was highly diabetic and was on insulin. He returned home from Saudi Arabia and had no money to take insulin for the last three to four days.

"He was also suffering from fever, cough and cold. He was admitted to the isolation ward of the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital yesterday and died today," the health services director said.

"We are waiting for the results of medical tests. The possibility of his death due to novel coronavirus infection is remote," he said.

However, precautions will be taken during the last rites of the victim according to the directives set by the central and state governments for patients who die of the virus, another senior official said.

"Family members will not be allowed to touch the body since the man had been suffering from cough and breathlessness. Those performing his last rites will be given protective gear, masks and gloves. Though test results are yet to be known, we do not want to take any chance," he said.

Meanwhile, the state health department has issued a directive to all private medical facilities to create a system for assessing all patients at admission allowing early recognition of possible COVID-19 infection and immediate isolation of patients with suspected novel coronavirus infection in an area separate from other patients.

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News Network
January 30,2020

Wayanad, Jan 30: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday compared Mahatma Gandhi assassin Nathuram Godse with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying both believed in the same ideology.

Gandhi, at an anti-CAA rally here, launched a scathing attack on Modi and said he was making Indians to prove that they are Indians.

Addressing participants at "Save the Constitution" march at Kalpetta in Wayanad, his Lok Sabha constituency on Martyr's Day, Gandhi said there was no difference between Godse and Modi.

"Today, an ignorant man is trying to challenge Gandhi's ideology. He is creating an atmosphere of hatred. The ideology is same. Nathuram Godse and Narendra Modi, they believe in the same ideology. There is no difference except that Modi does not have the guts to say he believes in the ideology of Godse," the Wayanad MP said.

Attacking the Prime Minister on the new Citizenship Law, Gandhi questioned Modi and asked who was he to ask Indians to prove that they were Indians.

"Indians are being made to prove that they are Indians. Who is Narendra Modi to decide who is an Indian. Who gave Modi the licence to ask for my Indianness? I know I am an Indian and I don't have to prove it to anyone. Likewise, 1.4 billion Indians do not have to prove that they are Indians," he said.

The Congress leader led the march here as part of efforts to intensify the party's protests against CAA in the state.

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