ED uncovers 1,064 kg gold smuggling syndicate across Ladakh border

Leh, Sep 10: The Enforcement Directorate has said that its probe into the seizure of a large quantity of gold near the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh last year has revealed a massive cross-border gold smuggling syndicate responsible for pushing over one thousand kilograms of gold into India during 2023 and 2024.

The matter came to light after a patrol of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police intercepted two men on July 9, 2024, in Sirigaple, Changthang sub-sector of eastern Ladakh. The duo, identified as Tsering Chamba and Stanzin Dorgyal, were caught with 108 gold bars, each weighing one kilogram.

According to ED, the smuggling racket was masterminded by one Tendu Tashi in India who coordinated with a Chinese national named Bhu-Chum-Chum. The agency said the Chinese contact routed gold from Tibet to the Indian side using porters. One of them, Tenzin Khandap of Tibet, acted as the designated receiver and transporter, while his uncle, Tenzin Samphel, arranged porters to carry the consignment.

Investigators found that between 2023 and 2024, the syndicate managed to smuggle 1,064 kilograms of foreign-origin gold worth around 800 crore rupees into the country. The consignment, once moved from Ladakh to Delhi, was handed over to jewellers and dealers for sale. Payments to the Chinese supplier were reportedly made through cryptocurrency transactions, specifically using USDT (Tether).

The ED said it carried out searches at five locations in the National Capital Region, including Delhi, and one in Ladakh, as part of its ongoing money laundering probe. Officials maintained that the smuggling network had built a sophisticated system for logistics, disposal, and payments to avoid detection.

The agency added that further investigation is underway to trace the proceeds of crime and identify all those connected to the syndicate. [KNT]