Maharajganj. The investigation into the smuggling of 10 kg of gold in Uttar Pradesh has now expanded to an alleged international network. After two men were arrested with the consignment on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and deleted WhatsApp chats were recovered from their mobile phones, investigating agencies have found indications that gold was being routed from Dubai, Hong Kong and Malaysia through Nepal and then into India. The investigation has also reached a Maulana from the Lakshmipur area of Maharajganj. Agencies suspect that he may have helped members of the network obtain forged documents and pre-activated SIM cards.
The case came to light late on August 21 on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. A Brezza car collided with a police vehicle, following which the police searched the car. Ten gold bars were recovered from inside the vehicle and two occupants were arrested. Further investigation also revealed that the Brezza allegedly used for transporting the gold already had 22 e-challans registered against it. Investigating agencies are now examining the vehicle’s previous use and records linked to it.
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The arrested men have been identified as Saroj Panth, a resident of Hungi village in Nepal’s Palpa district, and Sandeep Jaiswal, a resident of Thuthibari town in Maharajganj. During questioning, the name of a man identified as Riyaz allegedly emerged. Investigating agencies are examining his role as the suspected mastermind of the network. According to the allegations being investigated, his network arranged for gold to be brought from foreign countries to Nepal and subsequently moved across the border into India.
According to the information emerging from the investigation, gold was allegedly brought to Nepal from Dubai, Hong Kong and Malaysia before being transported into India through different channels. The 10-kg consignment recovered from the vehicle was reportedly meant to be taken to Delhi. This has led investigators to suspect that an organised network was operating at different levels to move smuggled gold from the Nepal border through Uttar Pradesh and eventually to Delhi.
One of the most significant leads has come from the mobile phones seized from the arrested suspects. Investigators were able to recover deleted WhatsApp chats through technical examination. The contacts and conversations allegedly found in the chats have brought a Maulana from the Lakshmipur area of Maharajganj under scrutiny. Agencies are now examining his alleged links with the arrested suspects and Riyaz.
Investigators also suspect that the Maulana may originally be from Bangladesh and may have allegedly obtained Indian documents by concealing his actual identity. However, these allegations have not yet been independently established. Agencies are examining his identity documents, mobile connections, bank accounts and other records. His actual identity and alleged role will become clearer only after the verification of these documents and other evidence.
Another allegation under investigation is that the Maulana helped provide pre-activated fake SIM cards to people associated with the smuggling network. Investigators suspect that such SIM cards may have been used to conceal identities and maintain communication among members of the alleged network. Agencies are now trying to establish how many such SIM cards were obtained, the documents used to procure them and who eventually used the connections.
The case is being investigated by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and state-level teams of the Customs Department. Joint teams of Customs, local police and the Sashastra Seema Bal are also active in the Sonauli border area. Agencies are examining border movement records, suspicious vehicles and information relating to earlier smuggling cases.
Investigators are now attempting to reconstruct the entire source and supply chain of the gold. They are examining who arranged for the gold to reach Nepal from abroad, who took possession of it there, who helped move it across the Indian border and who was supposed to receive the consignment in Delhi. The alleged financial transactions connected with the network are also expected to come under scrutiny.
According to the police, digital evidence recovered from the arrested suspects and the retrieved chats have revealed several important leads. However, the role of any suspect cannot be treated as conclusively established merely on the basis of allegations or conversations in chats. Investigators are matching the digital evidence with documentary and financial records to establish the facts.
The roles of Riyaz, the suspected Maulana and other people allegedly connected with the network are currently being investigated. As the investigation progresses, agencies are expected to determine whether the 10-kg consignment was an isolated operation or part of a larger international gold-smuggling network that had been operating for a considerable period.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
