NEW DELHI: On Monday the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered four FIRs and started its investigation in cases of gold theft from customs vault at capital’s Indira Gandhi International airport. Cases has been registered under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust besides provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, against unknown persons, according to senior CBI officials. But it is expected that the CBI will ask officials of custom department to join investigation as it suspects role of insiders in the cases, the officials said. An official said, “A complaint has been received by CBI from the customs department claiming that during a joint stock-taking exercise with DRI and CBI teams the gold was removed and replaced with non- precious metals in 10 packets”. Nearly 8.5 kg of precious metal was allegedly found missing from the customs vault, sources say. A CBI probe was ordered by authorities after it surfaced that gold seized from smugglers mysteriously disappeared from customs vaults at the IGI Airport. Official sources said, on several occasions in the past four years gold, both in form of bullion and jewellery is said to be missing from the customs warehouse and in all these cases, it was replaced with non-precious yellow-coloured metal. The Finance Ministry decided to recommend a CBI probe as the pilferage continued with the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley approving it, sources said. There is suspicion on customs officials and the vigilance wing of the Finance Ministry is looking into it, source said.]]>
