3 Himachal Pradesh men caught with 160 kg gold in Mohali
The Mohali police today arrested three persons with 160 kg of raw gold, being taken in an SUV from Delhi to Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh.
Those arrested are Rakesh Kumar and Surjit Singh, both residents of Hamirpur, and Vijay Kumar, a resident of Chamba in Himachal Pradesh.
“After purification, the seized raw gold will reduce to about 70 kg, worth around Rs 21 crore,” said the police.
The gold was seized during a search of their vehicle, a Hyundai Creta, at a special naka near Bakarpur village on Airport Road. The vehicle reportedly belongs to a Himachal-based gold company and those arrested were working as drivers for it. According to Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Kuldip Singh Chahal, the persons carrying the gold did not have any documents related to it. “They didn’t reveal anything about the gold at the barrier on the Punjab-Haryana border,” said the SSP. The police said the accused produced a waybill but the registration number of the vehicle mentioned on it did not match with the registration number of the Creta.
Senior officials of the Income Tax Department and the local Excise and Taxation Officer also reached the Sohana police station, where the accused were taken by the police along with the booty.
The police said the gold seemed to have been bought in Delhi. “We are investigating the matter including the mode of payment and involvement of other persons,” said the police.
The accused have also been interrogated by officials of the Income Tax and Excise departments.
A case under Sections 420 and 120-B has been registered against the trio at the Sohana police station.
The accused will be produced before a local court tomorrow.
Tribune News Service