In a major crackdown on suspected illegal transport of precious metals, police in Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund district seized more than 7.5 kilograms of gold jewellery worth over Rs 9 crore from a luxury car fitted with a secret chamber. Three men from Gujarat were detained after failing to produce valid documents related to the gold consignment.

The operation was carried out late Sunday night during vehicle checking on National Highway-353 near the Rehtikhol check post under the Singoda police station limits. Officials said police personnel were conducting routine checking of vehicles entering Chhattisgarh from Odisha when they intercepted a Volkswagen Virtus car bearing Gujarat registration number GJ 03 NP 4230.

Hidden Chamber Found

According to police officials, the occupants of the car appeared nervous during questioning, which raised suspicion among the checking team. The three men identified themselves as Jayesh Akbari, Sunit Karena and Rushi Agrawat, all residents of Rajkot in Gujarat. During a detailed search of the vehicle, police discovered a specially designed secret chamber beneath the rear seat of the car. Inside the hidden compartment, officers recovered two backpack bags containing six plastic containers filled with gold jewellery. Police said the total weight of the recovered ornaments was found to be 7512.488 grams, or more than 7.5 kilograms. The estimated market value of the seized gold jewellery has been pegged at nearly Rs 9.17 crore. The car used for transporting the consignment was also seized and valued at around Rs 10 lakh.

Documents Not Produced

Investigators said the accused could not provide any purchase invoices, ownership proof or transport documents linked to the gold jewellery. Following this, the police confiscated both the gold and the vehicle under relevant legal provisions. Officials stated that the case is being treated seriously due to the high value of the seized material and the suspicious manner in which it was being transported. Police suspect that the gold may have been moved illegally across states to avoid tax scrutiny or for organised smuggling operations. Authorities have informed the Income Tax Department and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to examine the financial and legal aspects connected to the consignment. Investigators are now trying to determine the origin of the jewellery and the intended delivery destination. The seizure quickly became part of the Latest News Today cycle as law enforcement agencies intensified monitoring of inter-state movement of high-value goods.

Probe Into Network

Police sources indicated that investigators are also examining whether the accused are linked to a larger smuggling or hawala network operating between Gujarat, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Call records, financial transactions and travel history of the detained individuals are being verified. Senior officials said the use of a concealed chamber inside the vehicle suggested prior planning and possible involvement in organised illegal transport activities. The accused are currently being questioned, and more arrests may follow depending on the findings of the investigation. The incident has emerged as a major Public Interest Story due to growing concerns over illegal transport of gold and other valuables through interstate highway routes.

Silver Seized In Ambikapur

In a separate operation in Ambikapur, police seized more than 95 kilograms of old silver anklets and 760 used mobile phones from an Omni van during routine checking. Five men from West Bengal were arrested in connection with the recovery. The action was carried out by Gandhinagar police during vehicle checking near Banaras Road. Officials said the vehicle was stopped after police noticed suspicious movement by the occupants during inspection. Upon searching the van, police recovered 95.5 kilograms of old silver anklets packed inside bags along with hundreds of old mobile phones. The accused allegedly failed to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the ownership and transportation of the seized items.

Five Accused Arrested

The arrested individuals have been identified as Sentu Sheikh, Gaffar Sheikh, Asim Sheikh, Ibrahim Sheikh and Mashdul Sheikh, all residents of Murshidabad district in West Bengal. Police suspect the silver ornaments and mobile phones may have been collected through illegal means. Investigators are particularly examining whether the old mobile phones were intended for use in cyber fraud or online scam operations. Officials said the silver jewellery is worth several lakh rupees in the market. A case has been registered against the accused, and all five were produced before a local court before being sent to judicial custody.

Security Agencies Alert

The back-to-back recoveries in Mahasamund and Ambikapur have prompted security and intelligence agencies to step up surveillance on interstate vehicle movement in Chhattisgarh. Police officials said special checking drives are being conducted on major highways and border routes to track suspicious movement of valuables and electronic items. Authorities are also examining whether the two incidents have any connection with larger interstate smuggling or illegal trade networks. Investigators believe organised groups may be using highway routes through Chhattisgarh to transport unaccounted valuables and second-hand electronic devices.

Police in Chhattisgarh have uncovered a new interstate ganja smuggling method in which traffickers allegedly disguised themselves as roadside clothes vendors to transport narcotics across districts and states. In separate operations carried out in Mahasamund and Dhamtari districts, police seized around 378 kilograms of ganja worth nearly ₹1.90 crore and arrested 13 accused, including a minor.

According to officials, the accused travelled on motorcycles carrying bundles of clothes to avoid suspicion. During searches, police discovered specially designed hidden iron compartments installed on the bikes where ganja packets had been concealed beneath garments. Investigators said the narcotics were allegedly being transported from Odisha and supplied to other states including Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Suspicion During Checking

The first major operation was conducted by Basna police in Mahasamund district after officials received information that a group of smugglers was moving towards Chhattisgarh from Odisha carrying narcotics.

Police teams immediately set up checkpoints and intensified checking on suspected routes. After some time, five motorcycles moving in a line were spotted approaching the barricade. The riders were carrying large bundles of clothes and reportedly claimed to be travelling vendors selling garments in villages and local markets. Officials said the men were shouting slogans commonly used by roadside clothes sellers in an attempt to appear genuine. However, police grew suspicious after observing their movements and behaviour during questioning.

Secret Chambers Found

During detailed inspection of the motorcycles, police discovered specially modified iron frames and hidden compartments attached beneath the clothes bundles on the rear side of the bikes. When the garments were removed, officers found large quantities of ganja concealed inside the secret boxes. Police said the smugglers had carefully designed the structure to ensure the narcotics remained hidden during routine checking and appeared like ordinary luggage used by street vendors.

In the first operation, police seized nearly 215 kilograms of ganja and arrested five accused. During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted that the narcotics were brought from Baliguda area in Odisha and were being transported to Madhya Pradesh for supply.

Multiple Raids Conducted

Mahasamund police later carried out additional operations in separate areas based on further intelligence inputs. In another case, Basna police arrested three accused with around 23 kilograms of ganja valued at nearly ₹11.5 lakh. Similarly, Komakhan police intercepted another motorcycle near Temri check post and recovered around 9.6 kilograms of ganja from two riders.

Officials stated that in all the Mahasamund operations combined, police seized seven motorcycles, six mobile phones and five specially fabricated iron racks used for hiding narcotics. Police said the accused belonged to different districts of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and nearby border areas.

Dhamtari Operation

A similar smuggling pattern was also uncovered in Dhamtari district, where police arrested three more accused, including a minor, from the Keregaon police station area. Officials said the accused were moving in a convoy of three motorcycles while pretending to be clothes vendors travelling through rural roads. Police recovered more than 131 kilograms of ganja during the operation.

According to investigators, the accused had also installed modified iron structures on their motorcycles to conceal the narcotics under piles of clothing. During questioning, the accused reportedly confirmed that the ganja had been sourced from Odisha.

Interstate Network Suspected

Police believe the operations exposed an organised interstate narcotics network using innovative methods to avoid detection during transportation. Investigators suspect the accused were part of a larger smuggling chain operating between Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Officials said smugglers are increasingly shifting to disguised transportation methods after stricter highway surveillance and vehicle checking measures were introduced. By using motorcycles and disguising themselves as travelling vendors, traffickers attempted to move through villages and smaller roads where checking is comparatively less intensive.

Questions Over Surveillance

The Dhamtari seizure has also raised serious questions regarding local police monitoring and border checking systems. Officials confirmed that the accused crossed multiple police station areas, including Burai, Sihawa, Nagri and Dugli, before finally being intercepted near Keregaon.

The movement of such a large quantity of ganja through several jurisdictions without interception has triggered discussions regarding intelligence coordination and routine checking systems. Residents and local observers questioned how the traffickers managed to travel across multiple checkpoints despite carrying narcotics in large quantities.

Police Investigation Continues

Police officials stated that interrogation of the arrested accused is continuing to identify other members of the network involved in transportation and distribution. Authorities are also investigating whether local support systems or supply contacts existed in Chhattisgarh and neighbouring states. Officials indicated that additional raids may be conducted based on information gathered during questioning. The operations are being seen as a significant breakthrough in tackling organised narcotics trafficking in the region.

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In a major enforcement action, Mahasamund police in Chhattisgarh seized silver jewellery worth over ₹46 lakh from a passenger travelling on a private bus. The operation was carried out during routine vehicle checking at the Rehtikhol check post on National Highway-53, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The passenger, identified as a resident of Cuttack in Odisha, was on his way to Raipur when the suspicious consignment was detected. Authorities said the seizure forms part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal transportation of valuables.

Suspicious Bag Found

According to officials, the bus operated by a private travel company—was stopped for inspection as part of intensified surveillance. During the check, a blue backpack belonging to one of the passengers raised suspicion.

A thorough search of the bag led to the recovery of approximately 18.590 kilograms of silver ornaments packed in plastic containers. The items primarily included around 600 pairs of silver anklets.

No Valid Documents

The passenger, identified as Raj Kishore Sharma alias Raju (58), failed to produce any valid documentation related to the silver consignment. Police officials stated that no purchase receipts, transport permits, or ownership proof were presented during questioning.

Acting on this, authorities issued a notice under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and seized the consignment for further verification.

Authorities Informed

Given the high value of the seized jewellery, Mahasamund police informed both the Income Tax Department and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Chhattisgarh. Officials indicated that these agencies will examine the financial and legal aspects of the case.

“The matter has been referred to concerned departments for further scrutiny. Necessary action will follow based on their findings,” a police officer said, as per reports.

Previous Similar Case

This is not the first such incident in the district. Around a month ago, police seized silver ornaments worth approximately ₹54.6 lakh during a vehicle check in the Komakhan area of Mahasamund.

In that case, over 21 kilograms of silver jewellery packed in multiple containers was recovered from a car. The occupants had also failed to produce valid documents, leading to the seizure of both the ornaments and the vehicle.

Ongoing Enforcement Drive

Officials said the seizures are part of a broader campaign to curb illegal trade and unaccounted movement of precious metals. Highway checkpoints have been strengthened in recent weeks following intelligence inputs about suspicious transport activities.

Regular inspections are being conducted on vehicles entering Chhattisgarh from neighbouring states, especially along key transit routes like NH-53.

What Happens Next

The seized silver jewellery will remain under official custody until verification is completed by the relevant departments. Authorities will assess whether the consignment was linked to tax evasion, illegal trade, or other financial irregularities.

If no valid ownership or transaction records are produced, further legal proceedings may follow. Officials indicated that stricter monitoring will continue in the coming days as part of ongoing Government Updates under enforcement drives.