Tripura: Assam Rifles, DRI seize 14 kg gold worth ₹19 Cr

AGARTALA- The Assam Rifles operating under the Army’s Spear Corps recovered gold biscuits weighing around 14 kg and unaccounted Indian currency during a joint operation in Agartala, Tripura, in a case that authorities say points to organised smuggling activity in the region. The operation involved the Assam Rifles and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and was carried out in the Shantipara and Dhaleshwar areas based on specific intelligence inputs.

Officials estimated the value of the gold at nearly ₹19 crore, while the recovered cash was put at ₹2.87 crore. The seized material was subsequently handed over to the DRI for further investigation and legal proceedings under applicable laws.

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While operational details remain limited, the seizure is significant for two reasons. First, the combination of gold and large volumes of cash suggests a potentially mature supply chain—where bullion movement and payments are coordinated, stored, and routed through localities before onward transport.

Second, Tripura’s geography—sharing a long international boundary with Bangladesh—has frequently figured in enforcement assessments of cross-border smuggling and “transit” logistics into mainland markets, making intelligence-led, inter-agency actions a recurring tactic.

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In its statement, the Assam Rifles described the recovery as evidence of effective coordination and swift action, adding that such networks have remained under close surveillance through sustained intelligence-led operations.

No arrests were confirmed in the immediate official accounts available at the time of reporting, and the scope of the DRI’s inquiry—source of the gold, financing trail, and intended destination—will shape whether the case remains a standalone recovery or expands into a wider probe into regional smuggling networks.