Foreign gold worth ₹1.96 crore was seized from the Howrah-Mumbai Duronto Express, leading to the arrest of two passengers, officials said.

Raipur: In a joint operation, teams from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) Crime Branch, Raipur and Nagpur, along with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Nagpur, intercepted the suspects in coach B-12 on the Bhandara-Nagpur stretch. Authorities recovered seven gold biscuits and one gold bar, weighing 1.242 kg, from their possession.

The operation was launched after an RPF Crime Branch inspector in Nagpur received a tip-off. The Nagpur unit alerted RPF Raipur and coordinated with DRI Nagpur to monitor the train between Raipur and Nagpur.

The RPF handed over the two accused and seized gold to DRI Nagpur. DRI Nagpur registered a case under Section 135 of the Customs Act, 1962, and initiated an investigation. RPF units continue to maintain vigil across trains and railway stations to curb gold smuggling.