Gang smuggling gold ‘paste’ from Dubai busted; 1.23 kg recovered from 2 arrested

Police said that prima facie probe shows that the gang had smuggled at least 50 kg gold from Dubai since July this year costing approximately Rs 30 crore in open market.

Addressing a press conference, Police Commissioner Mandeep Singh Sidhu said that the arrested suspects were Azad Singh (30) and Ashu Kumar (22), who are natives of UP’s Saharanpur district but were currently living in an accommodation on Sultanwind road, Amritsar.

While Azad Singh used to run a mobile phone repair shop in Haridwar (Uttarakhand) where his sister lives, Ashu Kumar used to drive an autorickshaw but was currently working for Azad Singh for Rs 20,000 a month.

CP Sidhu said that two others – kingpin of the gang Puneet Singh alias Pankaj alias Guru of Haridwar (brother-in-law of Azad Singh) and Parwinder Singh of Meharban of Ludhiana – were yet to be arrested. The two are currently in Dubai.

CP Sidhu said that police were tipped off that on Saturday (September 9), Azad Singh and Ashu Kumar had received another tranche of smuggled gold paste which was sent by Puneet Singh and Parwinder Singh.

They had received the gold paste in Amritsar and were waiting for someone at Jalandhar bypass in Ludhiana when police arrested them. Police said 1 kg gold paste was recovered from the two when they were arrested and later 230 grams from Ashu Kumar’s rented accommodation in Amritsar.

Modus operandi

CP Sidhu said that during questioning of the arrested duo, it was revealed that Puneet Singh used to send photos of the travellers (who were used as couriers from Dubai) to Azad Singh. Then Azad Singh along with Ashu Kumar used to meet that person at Amritsar international airport and collect the gold paste.

The gang used to pay Rs 20,000 to the courier. Police said that in the past nearly two months, Azad Singh and Ashu Kumar had received smuggled gold sent by Puneet Singh and Parwinder Singh at least 50 times and stayed at different hotels in Amritsar. After receiving the gold, they would supply it to several persons in Ludhiana and Delhi, said police.

The accused (Puneet Singh and Parwinder Singh) used to melt the gold and add some chemical into it to form gold paste, which the scanners installed at the airports would fail to detect. The accused (Azad Singh and Ashu Kumar) then hand over the gold paste to Delhi-based members who further convert the paste into metal form, said police.

An FIR in the case was registered under Sections 25/54/59 of Arms Act at Salem Tabri police station of Ludhiana for recovery of an illegal pistol and five cartridges from the accused. The customs department was informed for further action in recovery of gold paste, said police.