Mumbai: The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Friday arrested a 25-year-old who used to receive smuggled gold from Iranian nationals previously arrested by the agency in February this year. The agency officials have recovered and seized unexplained gold worth Rs 1.26 crore, silver and cash worth Rs 15 lakh from the accused. The arrested person has been identified as Y.D. Parmar, a resident of Parel.
Based on specific information, three international passengers (Iranian nationals), namely Ms. Zhaleh Amiri Taghjehjagh, Mohammadjavad Gholipoor, and Mohammadamin Eslami who arrived at CSMIA, Mumbai from Dubai on 14.02.2025 were intercepted.
According to the DRI sources, a personal search of the passengers Taghjehjagh and Gholipoor resulted in the recovery of seven one-kilo foreign-marked gold bars and one cut piece of a foreign-marked gold bar totally valued at Rs 6.28 crore from the waist bags concealed underneath the clothes worn by two of the three passengers.
During their voluntary statements, the two passengers admitted to smuggling gold at the behest of the third passenger Eslami for monetary benefits. The same was corroborated by the third passenger following which they were arrested.
After analysing forensic data of the mobile phones recovered from the passengers, it was revealed that Mohammadamin Eslami has been involved in gold smuggling since 2023. Several incriminating chats were recovered from his phone in which he made deals to sell smuggled gold in India, with a person named Y.D. Parmar alias Rashid, agency sources said.
"During the investigation, a search was conducted at the premises of Parmar dated 26/27.06.2025, wherein 557.34 grams of foreign-marked gold, 713.41 grams of cut/melted pieces of gold both valued at Rs. 1.26 crore, 383.22 grams of Indian marked gold, 8676.72 grams of silver, Indian currency amounting to Rs. 15 45 lakh and assorted foreign currency were recovered and seized," said a DRI source.
In his statement to the DRI, Parmar confirmed that Mohammadamin Eslami personally had approached him and sold smuggled gold on multiple occasions. He also admitted that he helped him convert the Indian rupees to USD. Parmar further revealed that Eslami had delivered smuggled gold to him several times and he accepted his role of buying and selling smuggled gold.
"Parmar also said that Eslami during a visit to his shop, enquired whether he was interested in purchasing gold smuggled by him or his accomplices. In response, he expressed his willingness to purchase the smuggled gold," said an agency official.
