Mumbai customs arrested two people for allegedly trying to smuggle gold worth Rs 1.25 crore, according to officials.
"Mumbai Customs Seized Gold having Net weight of 1.725 Kg valued at Rs 1.25 crores across 2 cases. Said goods were found concealed inside the body cavity of passengers as well as recovered from Airport staff," read a statement from Mumbai customs.
According to customs officials, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) trailed a passenger arriving from Dubai in Mumbai and was departing to Bangkok.
"In a significant operation at Mumbai Airport on the night of October 15, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers, acting on specific intelligence, discreetly trailed a transit passenger arriving from Dubai and departing to Bangkok. The passenger, along with an airport staff member, was seen entering a washroom, raising suspicions," the statement added.
The officials seized three pieces of 24 carat gold dust in wax form, around 1.725 kgs, provisionally valued at Rs 1.25 crores. The officials said that the pieces were concealed in the body cavity and in the undergarments of the passenger.
Customs officials said that the passenger had claimed after interrogation that the packets were handed to him by another passenger.
"AIU officers launched an exhaustive search and, through exceptional efforts, successfully located and apprehended the second passenger within the airport premises. Preliminary investigations indicated a connection between the airport staff member and the second passenger, suggesting a coordinated effort to smuggle the gold. They also confronted in their statement that they have done this more than 2 time before," the officials added.
Both individuals were arrested under the Customs Act, 1962.
In another case, a passenger was apprehended for trying to smuggle various goods, including gold worth Rs 33 lakhs and phones valued at Rs 6 lakhs.
"A passenger arrived from Dubai to Mumbai was intercepted and the smuggled goods i.e. 24 KT Gold dust is wax form(03 pcs) having Net weight 455 grams, provisionally valued at Rs. 33,00,880/- and Electronics goods i.e. High value phones provisionally valued at Rs. 6,11,790/- were recovered. The said gold dust was concealed inside the body cavity of the passenger and High value phones were concealed inside the baggage of the passenger," the customs department added.
