Varanasi: Chandauli police on Wednesday arrested two smugglers with 2.56kg foreign-origin gold worth Rs 3.9 crores being smuggled in an SUV to deliver in Delhi.Providing details of the early morning action by a joint team of Chandauli police and special operation group (SOG), Chandauli CO (Sadar) Namedra Kumar said that on receiving inputs regarding movement of gold smugglers, the team tried to intercept the SUV near Navhi culvert on Howrah-Delhi highway while checking vehicles coming from Bihar. When signalled to stop, the driver allegedly tried to speed away, but police blocked the vehicle and detained the occupants.The arrested accused were identified as Zuber Mubarak Sheikh of Sangli in Maharashtra and Manish Kumar of Fatehabad in Haryana. During questioning, they divulged that gold was concealed in a specially fabricated box below the gear box of the vehicle.On opening the hidden compartment in the presence of officials of Income Tax department and the directorate of Revenue Intelligence, police recovered two bars wrapped in cloth belts and brown cello tape. The seized consignment weighing 2.56kg valued at Rs 3.92 crore.Police also recovered five mobile phones and seized their SUV. After completing formalities, the gold was handed over to the revenue intelligence authorities. The accused were taken into custody for further legal action.
