Gaya resident detained under COFEPOSA after DRI seized 124,000 US dollars at home
The DRI searched a resident's home in Gaya during a gold-smuggling probe and seized 124,000 US dollars. The High Court recorded that the money was alleged to be commission from smuggled gold. The detention order under COFEPOSA was confirmed by the Central Government and the High Court dismissed the challenge.
This page records what the cited court, tribunal and government records say happened. Findings belong to the court or authority that made them; this register adds none of its own. Names of private individuals are withheld unless a naming gate clears them.
How we verify →The COFEPOSA detention stands confirmed and the High Court challenge was dismissed on 17.02.2025, while the Customs complaint and confiscation proceedings continue separately.
What happened
The High Court recorded that DRI received intelligence about a syndicate smuggling foreign gold from Yangon (Myanmar) to Gaya through Gaya International Airport, and that four persons were apprehended at the airport on 13.12.2023 with 12004 grams of foreign-origin gold recovered and seized.
The High Court recorded that a simultaneous DRI search at the Gaya resident's premises recovered 124000 US Dollars in the presence of the resident and two independent witnesses, with a recovery and seizure memo prepared on the spot, and that a statement was recorded under Section 108 of the Customs Act on 14.12.2023.
The High Court recorded that the detaining authority alleged the dollars were the resident's commission from sale proceeds of smuggled gold, at 1300 US dollars per kg, involving about 200 kg over the prior year.
The High Court recorded that the detention order dated 06.03.2024 was executed on 11.03.2024, the Advisory Board (COFEPOSA) at Patna opined on 29.04.2024 and 13.05.2024 that detention was justified, and the Central Government confirmed the order on 29.05.2024.
The High Court held that the detaining authority had followed constitutional, statutory and procedural safeguards, that subjective satisfaction was not vitiated, and dismissed the petition.
What the record says
“During the search, total 124000 US Dollars were recovered from his residence in presence of the petitioner and two independent witnesses.”
Cr. WJC No.1309 of 2024, para 2.2 / p.4/35 — read the full text
A peaceful economic act
Keeping and holding foreign currency is a peaceful economic act with no complaining victim; the state seized 124,000 US dollars and imposed preventive detention for it.
What we could not confirm
The dollars were characterised by the authority as alleged commission from gold smuggling rather than a standalone FEMA penalty; no separate FEMA adjudication order was found. Searches for a more recent (2026) Bihar foreign-currency seizure with an official source returned nothing retrievable.