₹54 Crore in Gold and Silver Bars Nabbed from Akshay Parshuram Bansode

The Enforcement Directorate’s Guwahati regional office executed a large‑scale seizure under the PMLA, confiscating 37.064 kg of gold—comprising 29 major bars and 50 smaller fragments—as well as about 13 grams of silver‑colored alloy. Valued at over 54 crore rupees, the haul was taken from Akshay Parshuram Bansode and several unknown partners.

The assets were originally collected by Assam police on 30 June from the Kharguli Hatisil region of Guwahati and are now safeguarded in the Kamrup Metro Treasury. The case was opened following a complaint filed at Latasil police station, pointing to an organized scheme for illegal gold import, concealment, and a broader criminal conspiracy.

Probes indicate that Bansode had been moving gold across India for years at the behest of a shadowy figure who operated a courier syndicate, employing a coded identification mechanism and paying a predetermined monthly fee. The gold is suspected to have been smuggled through Myanmar and the United Arab Emirates, with payments funneled through hawala networks. Attempts were made to legitimize the treasure by presenting fake invoices from merchants tied to a bullion refining business.

When the claimants tried to assert ownership using these documents, the court found the invoices to be spurious and denied their petition. Neither the seized party nor the claimant could produce customs clearance certificates, import records, or any legitimate evidence of lawful acquisition. The ED has confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing.