NIA chargesheets 18 over Jaipur airport seizure of 18.5 kg smuggled gold

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Monday filed a charge sheet before a special court in Jaipur against 18 people in connection with the 2020 seizure of 18.5 kg smuggled gold at the Jaipur International Airport, an official said.

They have been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The NIA had registered the case on September 22 last year under sections of the IPC and the UA(P) Act.

During its probe, the central agency recovered various incriminating material including chats, audio messages and images from the digital devices of the accused, the NIA official said. The accused had conspired and formed an international gang for smuggling gold into India, the official said.

The gold bars were being smuggled by the members of the gang to Jaipur from Saudi Arabia for its further delivery to gold dealers, the NIA official said, adding that further investigation in the case is underway.

Those named in the charge-sheet filed before a special NIA court in Jaipur include Hetram, Sunil Verma, Rashid Qureshi, Abdul Razzak, Shokat Ali, Surendra Kumar Darji, Mohammed Arif, Aizaz Khan, Sameer Khan, Muniyad Ali Khan and Subhash.

Others named are: Mohammed Maqbool Shekh, Chuna Ram, Amjad Ali, Mohabbat Ali, Ramchandra, Mukesh and Mohammed Aslam