Lucknow, June 17 (IANS) More than two months after 29 gold smugglers escaped from the custody of Customs officials at the Lucknow airport, the department arrested one of the alleged masterminds.
The network indulged in the smuggling of gold and cigarettes and was being allegedly operated by smugglers based in India and Gulf countries.
The arrested man was identified as Mohammad Sadiq, 40, of Kanda village in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district, the Customs officials said.
“The capture of Mohammad Sadiq is a major breakthrough for our department. He is one of the kingpins and we expect to extract critical information regarding the 29 smugglers who escaped on April 3,” said a senior official on Monday.
The smuggling ring has been a focal point for the Customs Department’s investigations due to its sophisticated operations and significant financial implications.
The network’s ability to orchestrate large-scale smuggling efforts across international borders has raised concerns about the effectiveness of current security measures at major transit points, including airports.
The officials are quizzing him about his modus operandi, other aides, their hideouts and transactions etc. The arrest comes after an intensive manhunt and strategic operations by the Customs Department aimed at dismantling the smuggling syndicate.
Authorities are hopeful that Sadiq’s interrogation will reveal valuable insights into the modus operandi of the smuggling ring and lead to further arrests.
If proven guilty under the Customs Act, Mohammad Sadiq will face up to six years of rigorous imprisonment. This case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in curbing smuggling activities and securing national borders.
While 28 gold smugglers hail from Rampur’s Tanda village, one is from Uttarakhand and all of them know each other well, the official said.
The escape of these 29 smugglers was caught on CCTV cameras of the airport.
As per the officials, there has been a sixfold increase in gold seizures during the 2023-2024 in Uttar Pradesh. Smuggled gold items weighing about 140 kg were recovered at Lucknow, Varanasi and a few other airports in the state by different agencies, including Customs in the said period.
–IANS
amita/dpb
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
