MOHALI – Punjab Police recovered 160 kg of raw (impure) gold worth Rs 21 crore from a naka (checkpoint) 5 km from the Chandigarh International Airport on Tuesday night.
Police arrested three persons, Rakesh Kumar, Vijay Kumar and Surjit Singh, all from Himachal Pradesh.
The accused were on their way from Delhi to Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh with plates (bigger than bricks) of gold stacked in the white Hyundai Creta. They were signalled to stop at the 24-hour checkpoint at Bakharpur village chowk on Airport Road in SAS Nagar (Mohali).
On checking, the police found 160 kg of raw gold from the vehicle that was on its way to Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh. The police said that accused Vijay hails from Kangra, while the other two are from Hamirpur.
“The trio claimed they are employed as drivers with AJ Gold, a Hamirpur-based firm. The accused got the gold from Delhi,” said Gagandeep Singh Bhullar, DSP (City 2).
A case has been registered under Sections 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 120 B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The vehicle was impounded. Teams from the income tax department and enforcement directorate have been alerted.
It is learnt that about 90 kg pure gold can be prepared with 160 kg of raw gold.
