Amaravati: In a major crackdown, the Vijayawada Customs Preventive Commissionerate seized 17.9 kg of foreign-origin smuggled gold worth Rs 14.37 crore from various locations in Andhra Pradesh.
According to the officials, the seized gold was illegally brought into the Telugu state from Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The Vijayawada customs conducted a coordinated operation over three days arresting 16 individuals, including a woman carrying gold bars from Tadipatri railway station, Nellore railway station, and Bollapalli toll plaza.
The smugglers tried to erase the origin country information from the gold bars, custom officials said.
The arrested individuals were sent to judicial custody for 14 days under the Customs Act, 1962.
The Vijayawada customs have urged citizens to report any instances of smuggling and help the law enforcement agencies to put a hold on illegal trade in the state.
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