A person was apprehended at Bagdogra airport in West Bengal’s Siliguri with 46 diamonds worth approximately 4.5 crore rupees. Identified as Deepak Kumar Mahasuklal Mehta, he hails from Delhi and was presented before a court, which ordered his judicial custody. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) successfully intercepted the smuggling attempt based on a tip-off about diamonds being transported via air.
The DRI, acting on the information, conducted surveillance at Bagdogra Airport leading to the arrest of Deepak Kumar Mehta, who was found with the diamonds in his luggage. Despite initial silence during questioning, the authorities discovered the unaccompanied diamonds hidden in a packet. The seized diamonds, totaling 808.33 carats or 161.66 grams, were valued at 4 crore 33 lakh rupees and were believed to have been smuggled from Nepal to Siliguri by road, with the intention of further smuggling them to Delhi by air.
DRI lawyer Ratan Banik stated that investigations are ongoing to determine if others were involved in the smuggling operation and to uncover details about the origin and intended destination of the diamonds. The accused has been remanded in judicial custody until February 24 by the Siliguri court.
