CPC Commissioner S. Narasimha Reddy said in a release that the seizures were made at the Tadipatri and Nellore railway stations, and Bollapalli toll plaza.
Acting on specific Intelligence, officers from the CPC and Central GST Department from Tirupati and Guntur busted the racket in a coordinated operation.
The smugglers were carrying the smuggled gold from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and it was found that the foreign markings were erased to conceal the nature of the gold.
The accused, who included a woman carrier, were arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. They were remanded in 14 days judicial custody by the Court of Special Judge for Economic offences, Visakhapatnam.
The release said the Customs Department remained vigilant and committed to tackling smuggling and safeguarding the country’s economic and national interests, and that citizens were free to report any suspicious activity related to smuggling, or evasion of customs duty.
The present operation was a testament to the relentless efforts of the CPC to combat smuggling, the release said.
In 2023-24, the CPC had seized 32 kg of smuggled gold valued at over ₹19 crore. The Customs team had seized 20.41 kg gold valued at ₹16.15 crore and also 65 lakh smuggled cigarette sticks valued at ₹6.50 crore.
Published – January 12, 2025 07:03 pm IST
