Smuggled gold worth crores seized at Howrah station; UP man arrested

Smuggled gold and unaccounted cash worth over Rs 1 crore were seized by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) from Howrah railway station in Kolkata, and one person was arrested in connection with the incident. The arrested individual has been identified as Chandrabhan Mishra, a resident of the Motiganj area in Uttar Pradesh.

According to RPF sources, Mishra was seen loitering mysteriously with a heavy bag at platform number eight of the old complex of Howrah station at around 10 p.m. on Monday. The RPF personnel intercepted him and upon thorough checking, gold bars and ornaments with an approximate market value of over Rs 1 crore were seized from his possession.

Mishra was initially detained and questioned about the source of the gold consignment. However, when he failed to provide any satisfactory answers, the RPF personnel arrested him and handed him over to the Income Tax department officials.

This recent recovery and arrest have raised concerns among the Income Tax department and intelligence agencies in the state, indicating that Howrah station is becoming a popular transit point for operators dealing in smuggled gold and unaccounted cash.

In two separate incidents on March 18, the RPF personnel also arrested two individuals with unaccounted cash worth Rs 32.80 lakh. Moreover, on March 12, a resident of Rajasthan's Bikaner area was arrested by the RPF from Howrah station with unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 50 lakh.

The increase in such incidents has led to increased surveillance and vigilance at Howrah station by the RPF and other law enforcement agencies to prevent such illegal activities.