Mumbai Airport Customs Arrests 34-Year-Old Man For Allegedly Smuggling ₹1.21-Crore Gold Concealed In Rectum At CSMIA

Mumbai, July 15, 2026: Mumbai Airport Customs officials have busted a gold smuggling syndicate and arrested a 34-year-old man who had allegedly concealed gold in oval-shaped capsules in his rectum. The gold was allegedly sourced from Addis Ababa.

Gold Recovered During X-Ray

According to Customs sources, Air Intelligence Unit officers intercepted passenger Shahir Ukkachiyil, a resident of Kozhikode, Kerala, on suspicion that he might be carrying contraband after he arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai, from Addis Ababa on Tuesday.

Ukkachiyil was informed of the requirement for an X-ray examination of his body. Upon obtaining his written consent and approval from the competent authority, he was escorted to the X-ray laboratory at the Domestic Transit Area, Terminal 2, CSMIA, where the examination was conducted. The X-ray images revealed a suspicious concealment in the rectal area of the passenger.

Thereafter, the passenger was taken to a washroom near the arrival hall, where he voluntarily expelled three black-coloured oval-shaped capsules from his rectum and handed them over to the Customs officer.

On removing the black tape, the capsules were found to contain three transparent oval-shaped capsules containing yellow dust/paste, which were recovered under the reasonable belief that they contained gold dust in wax, having a net weight of 980 grams and valued at Rs 1.21 crore. The goods were allegedly concealed in his body for the purpose of smuggling.

Accused Sent To Judicial Custody

Thereafter, Ukkachiyil's voluntary statement was recorded on Tuesday, wherein he admitted to the possession, concealment, carriage, smuggling, handling and recovery of the gold. The passenger admitted that he was supposed to hand over the gold to another person in return for Rs 30,000.

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"The investigation in the case is at a very preliminary stage, and efforts are also being made to identify and apprehend key members of the gold smuggling syndicate," a Customs officer said.

Advocates Prabhakar Tripathi and Awadhesh Pandey appeared on behalf of the accused, following which the court remanded him to judicial custody.

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