More than 100 kg smuggled gold worth Rs 51 cr seized by DRI; 7 Sudanese among 10 held
Mumbai, Feb 21: In a pan-India operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a gold smuggling syndicate involving Sudanese nationals operating through the Indo-Nepal border and seized 101.7 kg of the yellow metal valued at around Rs 51 crore and also arrested ten persons, an official said on Tuesday.
The smuggled gold was confiscated after interceptions at Patna, Pune and Mumbai and at least ten persons linked to the syndicate -- seven Sudanese nationals and three Indians -- were arrested during the crackdown named 'Operation Golden Dawn', he said.
Indian and foreign currency notes worth more than Rs 1.35 crore were also recovered during the DRI action.
The seized gold, mostly in paste form, was brought to Patna through the Indo-Nepal border and then transported via trains or by air to different parts of the country, largely to Mumbai, said the official.
Acting on specific information, DRI officials intercepted three Sudanese nationals on late Sunday night while they were boarding a Mumbai-bound train at the Patna railway station, he said.
Gold paste containing gold weighing 37.126 kg and hidden in 40 packets was recovered from two Sudanese nationals, who had ingeniously concealed the precious metal in a specially made cavity of the sleeveless jackets worn by them, the official said.
The third foreign national was a handler coordinating smuggling activity at border areas and arranging transport of smuggled gold, he said.
A second set of two Sudanese women were intercepted on Monday in Pune while they were travelling from Hyderabad to Mumbai in a bus with 5.615 kg of smuggled gold, the official said.
The seized yellow metal was in an assorted form and concealed in handbags, he said.
A third set of two Sudanese nationals travelling to Mumbai from Patna were intercepted at a railway station in the financial capital on Monday. Gold paste containing gold weighing 38.76 kg and concealed in 40 packets was recovered from them, the official informed.
In all, the DRI seized approximately 101.7 kg gold valued at Rs 51 crore along with Rs 74 lakh worth of foreign currency and Rs 63 lakh in Indian notes, he said, adding further investigation was in progress.
In a pan-India Op, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a gold smuggling syndicate of Sudanese nationals operating through Nepal border. DRI in different interceptions in Patna, Pune & Mumbai seized a total of 101.7 kg of smuggled gold valued at approx Rs 51 Cr: DRI pic.twitter.com/OBhaCOtwLT
— ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2023
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B'luru: "Least priority, shifted late," says brother of patient who died in Ramaiah hospital fire
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Bengaluru: Hours after a fire broke out at the Critical Care Unit (CCU) of the MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital on New BEL Road on Thursday, a 34-year-old patient, Sujay Sujathan Panicker, tragically passed away. His family has accused the hospital authorities of negligence, which they claim led to his death.
The fire at Ramaiah Memorial Hospital is believed to have been caused by a short circuit. Initial reports suggested that there were no casualties in the incident.
Sujay, originally from Kollam in Kerala, had been residing in Bengaluru with his family since 2004. He was undergoing treatment for pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and H1N1 since September 1 at the hospital.
Sujay's wife and father released a video accusing the hospital of negligence. In the video, his wife, Rohini Jayan, alleged that the hospital authorities took no action against those responsible for the fire.
Sujay’s brother, Sujin Sujathan Panicker, speaking to Vartha Bharathi, detailed the family’s ordeal. He said that despite his sister-in-law requesting assistance during the chaos, the hospital staff pushed her away, assuring her that all patients had been safely evacuated to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). However, Sujin claims that his sister-in-law did not see Sujay being shifted.
He further stated, “Sometime later, when a doctor arrived, she (Rohini) inquired about Sujay. It was only after the doctor questioned the staff that they rushed to evacuate him.”
Sujin added that by the time his brother was evacuated, 50 minutes had already passed since the fire broke out. "He was still inside, while all the other patients were taken out first. He was admitted to the hospital with a respiratory illness, yet he was given the least priority during the chaos. He was the last one to be evacuated."
He also claimed that Rohini had already noticed that Sujay’s condition had deteriorated and believed he had passed away, though the hospital authorities did not officially declare his death.
Sujin further stated that the hospital authorities called him and his father to the board room at the 8th floor of the hospital, where senior executives and doctors who had treated Sujay were present “During the interaction they (hospital authorities) claimed that Sujay was still alive and that his condition had worsened amid the smoke and that his chances of survival were less, which was not true.”
"Despite staff being present to evacuate my brother, they remained negligent. The fire broke out at 1:00 p.m., so why did it take 50 minutes to get him out? He was in a corner bed in the CCU, and it seemed they either overlooked the room or ignored it. Even after repeated requests, it took them 50 minutes to evacuate him," Sujin added.
Sujin also expressed concerns that the hospital authorities might attempt to influence the investigation. "They can influence anyone—any hospital, any report."
At the time of the interview, Sujin stated that neither anyone from the government nor from the health department had contacted the family.
A complaint has been filed in connection with the incident at the Sadashivanagar police station. "The statements of the family members have been recorded, and an investigation into the matter is underway. An FIR has been lodged under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Section 106 (causing death due to negligence)," said Sadashivanagar police station Sub-Inspector.
Meanwhile, officials from Ramaiah Memorial Hospital were unavailable for comment.
