Kolkata, Dec 27 (IANS): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence sleuths have seized 7.3 kilo smuggled gold valued at Rs 2.84 core and arrested two persons from an express train in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, an official said.

Acting on intelligence input that some persons on board the Howrah bound 12042 Down Shatabdi Express would be carrying huge quantity of foreign origin gold, smuggled into India from Myanmar, DRI officers successfully identified and intercepted two passengers of the said train.

The officers de-boarded the duo, who had concealed the gold in their person, at the New Farakka Junction Railway Station.

The two apprehended passengers were identified as Kundan Kumar Shaw and Solu Kumar Sharma, both residents of Karl Marx Sarani in Kolkata.

Personal search of the two persons resulted in the recovery of 44 pieces of gold biscuits, each weighing 166 grams.

The gold was concealed in specially designed cavities in the waistline of the jeans they were wearing.

The market value of the recovery has been calculated to be Rs 2.84 crore.

On preliminary interrogation, the apprehended persons admitted that the gold was smuggled from Myanmar and that they have been tasked to carry the same to Kolkata for delivery.

In the current financial year so far, more than 244 kgs of gold have been seized by DRI in the Eastern region.