Guwahati: Assam Police have busted a suspected international gold-smuggling racket with links to the Middle East and Myanmar with the arrest of a person hailing from Maharashtra with 37 kg of 24-carat gold worth around Rs 55 crore in Guwahati, police said on Tuesday.The accused has been identified as Akshay Bansode, a resident of Maharashtra’s Sangli district, and was arrested by the police at Guwahati’s Kharghuli area on Monday evening.Deputy commissioner of police (Central) Sambhavi Mishra said the recovery was made during a police operation based on specific inputs. “He was dressed like a beggar or homeless person, holding a blanket and some clothes in hand at the time when police caught him. The consignment of the gold was packed inside the blanket,” she added.The seized gold has been taken into custody and is being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.According to the preliminary probe, the DCP said, Bansode travelled from Maharashtra and had been residing in the Gandhi Basti area of Guwahati for the past two years. “He was acting as a courier entrusted with transporting gold consignments from one location to another. Already, he transported 20 kg of smuggled gold in the last two months,” she added.
Akshay Bansode with 37 kg gold
“Investigation has revealed international gold-smuggling links to the Middle East and Myanmar, with domestic connections to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengalaru,” she added.The DCP further said that the police are now trying to establish the ownership of the seized gold and determine the purpose for which it was being transported. “The accused’s financial records and communication logs are being examined to identify other persons who may be linked to the operation,” she added.The officer added that the probe is focused on tracing the source of the gold, identifying its intended recipients, and ascertaining whether the seizure is part of a larger interstate gold-smuggling network. Police have not ruled out further arrests as the investigation progresses.“The seizure is one of the largest gold recoveries by Assam Police in recent times and comes amid intensified enforcement against organised smuggling and illegal trade networks operating across the Northeast,” she added.Police are coordinating with other investigative agencies to verify the origin of the seized consignment and uncover the wider network behind its movement.A case has been registered at the Latasil police station against the accused, Akshay Bansode.
