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Mumbai – The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) executed raids at Versova and Zaveri Bazaar, resulting in the confiscation of 14 kg of gold smuggled from Dubai to India. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the smuggling operation. The detainees have been identified as Mohammad Rafiq Razvi (58 years), Mahendra Jain (52 years), Sameer Merchant alias Afzal Haroon Batatawala (56 years), Umed Singh (24 years), and Mahipal Vyas (42 years). The seized items include 14.497 kg of gold, along with cash worth Rs 2 crore and British currency of GBP 4,600 (equivalent to over Rs 4,85,000). Notably, Sameer Merchant, one of the apprehended individuals, had previously faced charges for illegally bringing foreign currency into India.
1. The accused Sameer Merchant, previously known as Afzal Batatawala, operated alongside his wife in illicit activities.
2. Sameer Merchant played an active role in orchestrating gold smuggling, using another identity, i.e., Batatawala. Subsequently, the smuggled gold was handed over to Razvi for distribution within the Indian market. This transactional process involved broker Mahendra Jain from Mazgaon.
3. Amjad, based in Dubai, was identified as the individual responsible for dispatching the smuggled gold to India. Sameer Merchant and his wife, Jyoti Kitty, were actively engaged in selling the gold to other members of the criminal gang.
4. Merchant has a history of criminal activities, having been previously arrested by the Directorate in 1997 for smuggling foreign currency from Hong Kong. Subsequently, he faced arrest in 2004 by the Ahmedabad Anti-Narcotics Squad. Following his release in 2013, he underwent a name change from Afzal Batatawala to Sameer Merchant.
| Editorial Perspective
Strict punitive measures are essential to deter and halt the activities of gold smugglers. |
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