DRI (Department of Revenue Intelligence) officials arrested one Nayan Dhamelia, a passenger who came from Bangkok with gold in an air compressor at Ahmedabad international airport on December 25 and remanded him in judicial custody.

Dhamelia is from Surat and was smuggling gold on orders of Bhavin Patolia, another resident of Surat. Patolia had paid for the air ticket and expenses to come from Bangkok to Ahmedabad for Dhamelia.

Patolia is absconding after Dhamelia’s arrest.

While checking the luggage of passenger Dhamelia, who came from Bangkok to Ahmedabad, DRI officials had found an air compressor inside the parcel. The gold was hidden inside the piston of this air compressor. DRI officials seized three kilograms of gold, the market value of which is estimated to be ₹2.35 crore.

During interrogation, Dhamelia admitted that Patolia had booked an air ticket from Bangkok to Ahmedabad and had also promised to pay for the expenses incurred in Bangkok and that the compressor machine was to be handed over to Patolia in Surat.

Dhamelia himself knew that gold was hidden in the air compressor, but he told the customs officials that he had nothing objectionable with him.

After this, Dhamelia was to leave Mumbai for Thailand on January 19, the ticket of which was booked by a person named Juhil.

DRI officials claim that Patolia used to order smuggled gold from passengers coming from Bangkok, and efforts to nab him are ongoing.

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