Four Kenyan women were among those arrested in India on October 9, on allegations that they were part of a gold smuggling syndicate.
A search of the women’s hotel rooms uncovered US dollars valued at Ksh49.9 million and Indian Rupees worth Ksh11.3 million. The money was attributed to the sale of the illicit gold.
According to India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), a man identified as Samadhan Gurav would collect gold from the women, melt it, refine it, convert it into gold bars and then sell it.
“The probe found a nexus between the five African women and the owner cum operator of the melting facility to divert smuggled gold and receive cash in foreign and Indian currency,” DRI stated.
“The Kenyan women would smuggle gold from foreign countries to India and would call Gurav after reaching Mumbai. Gurav would then get the smuggled gold collected from the respective hotels the African women are staying in,” the Indian express elaborated.
As part of the sting operation, the Indian Intelligence Unit also conducted a raid on a melting facility believed to belong to Gurav and a jewelry shop, where they recovered 2.1 kilograms of gold as well as proceeds of the smuggled gold amounting to Ksh 56.4 million.
The operation led to the arrest of three Indian men, Gurav, 35, Sagar Shinde, 34 and Jabra Ram Mali, 33 and a tanzanian woman.
Detectives say Gurav, who has been linked to other gold smuggling rackets, would sell the illicit gold in foreign currency then share the proceeds with the Kenyan women and other members of the cartel.
This is the latest of several cases involving Kenyans smuggling illicit materials into Asian countries.
Barely a week ago, a 40-year-old woman was detained at India’s Mumbai Airport attempting to smuggle gold worth Ksh 29 million.
The woman had 17 pieces of 22-carat gold melted bars hidden in her innerwear and was on her way out of the airport when she was profiled and subsequently arrested.
Mumbai authorities said they believed the woman had been involved in several smuggling activities.
By the time of publishing this article it was unclear whether the two incidents were related.
BY BRANDY KEMUNTO
Source-https://www.kenyans.co.ke/
