DRI seizes 5,570 carats of precious stones worth Rs 6 crore at Hyderabad airport

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], January 12 : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 5569.64 carats of precious stones, lab-grown diamonds, chemical vapour deposition (CVD) diamonds and natural diamonds on Friday at Hyderabad airport, DRI said in an official statement.
Apart from the precious stones valued at around Rs 6.03 crore, the DRI also seized foreign currency worth Rs 9.83 lakh and Indian currency worth Rs 1 lakh from two passengers bound to Dubai, said the official statement.
The officers of DRI's Hyderabad zonal unit, on the basis of specific intelligence, intercepted the two passengers near the boarding area of Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on January 10, 2024.
The DRI further mentioned that upon the inquiry and checking the baggage of the two passengers, the officers found precious stones concealed in zipped plastic pouches wrapped in white papers that were sealed in chocolate packets.
The two passengers were subsequently apprehended and further investigation is in progress, said DRI.