Youth Cong leaders confront cops after being denied permission to welcome Rahul at Mysuru Airport
Mysuru: A clash of words erupted between Mohammed Haris Nalapad, the leader of Karnataka Youth Congress, and local police officials following the denial of permission by Mysuru ASP BN Nandini for Youth Congress members to welcome Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the city airport on Wednesday. Rahul Gandhi's visit was in connection with the launch of the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme initiated by the state government.
Anticipating Rahul Gandhi's arrival, members of the Youth Congress, under the leadership of Nalapad, had gathered at the entrance of the Mysuru Airport with the intention of extending a warm welcome to the Congress leader. Additionally, they had organized themselves along the route leading to the Maharaja College Grounds, where Rahul Gandhi was slated to inaugurate the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme.
However, when Nalapad approached ASP Nandini to seek permission for the welcome event, he was met with a refusal. This refusal ignited a confrontation between Nalapad and the police officials, with heated exchanges taking place for a period of time. ASP Nandini stood her ground, citing the need to consult higher-ranking officers before granting permission for the Youth Congress members to carry out the welcome activities for Rahul Gandhi.
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Gold smuggling racket busted at Bengaluru airport, 5 arrested
Bengaluru (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru following a coordinated operation, according to an official statement.
Five people have been arrested so far in connection with the case and efforts are underway to identify the key masterminds and dismantle the entire network, officials said.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, officers of the DRI’s Bengaluru Zonal Unit mounted surveillance at Terminal 2 of the airport, leading to the interception of a network involving foreign nationals and local facilitators.
The operation, conducted over April 6 and 7, culminated in the seizure of 3.356 kg of high-purity gold worth about Rs 5 crore in paste form.
“The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru Zonal Unit, have successfully busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), Bengaluru,” the agency said in a press release.
Officials said the contraband was ingeniously concealed in paste form inside capsule-shaped packets, highlighting the sophisticated methods adopted by the syndicate.
Investigations revealed that carriers arriving from abroad deliberately chose Bengaluru as a transit point, exploiting longer layovers to facilitate covert transfers within the airport premises.
“The gold was concealed on the body and transferred using a pre-arranged passcode system inside sensitive areas such as washrooms and smoking zones, thereby bypassing Customs scrutiny,” the statement said.
The use of coded exchanges within restricted zones enabled the syndicate to evade routine checks, it said, adding that the probe also uncovered insider involvement within the airport ecosystem.
“The syndicate had further infiltrated the airport ecosystem, with the involvement of an insider who misused authorised access to restricted zones to receive and smuggle out the contraband,” the DRI said.
The operation also revealed the use of encrypted communication platforms featuring coded messages and disappearing chats.
Authorities said preliminary investigations indicate the involvement of a wider international network.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the network is part of a larger cross-border smuggling syndicate involving foreign operatives, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, working in tandem with domestic handlers and facilitators,” the DRI said.
Officials said the case reflects the increasing sophistication of smuggling operations and reiterated that the agency remains committed to curbing such organised economic offences.
