SHILLONG, July 09: The State police after conducting a search operation from the 24th of last month till yesterday were able to hunt down and arrest 5 persons and also seized gold worth Rs.50 lakhs and cash.
The Director General of Police (DGP), Dr L.R.Bishnoi informed that on the 24th of June at about 4:20 PM, Ri-Bhoi Police conducted a search operation at NH06 after receiving credible information that there are some people enroute from Shillong to Assam who are transporting illegal gold.
In this search operation of the Police they caught one man named Abu Bakkar from Barpeta, Assam and from him, gold weighing 817 grams worth about Rs.50 lakhs was found which he had hidden in his belt.
As per the information of the DGP, from the interrogation of the Nongpoh police, the arrested man confessed that the gold was intended to be delivered to Saddique Ali and Shahjahan in Barpeta,Assam. After this the Ri-Bhoi Police collaborated with the Assam Police and were able to seize Rs.27 lakhs cash from the residence of Shahjahan in Barpeta, and also seized 10 mobile phones.
DGP Bishnoi further informed that in this search operation which began on the 24th of June, 7 gold biscuits were seized with each weighing 117 grams and valued at about Rs.50 lakhs, and 5 people were also arrested. Besides the 3 persons arrested from Barpeta, Assam, the police also arrested 2 others identified as Aziz Lyngdoh from Laban and Subalin Kharbani from Mawlai.
Furthermore, the police Chief of Meghalaya informed that this gold was brought in from the United Arab Emirates(UAE) by smuggling it first to India and then brought in later to India. He also informed that in Indian Rupees,the price of 1 gram of gold in the UAE is Rs.4410, when it reaches Bangladesh it is Rs.4600 and when it reaches India it is Rs.5121.
