WATCH: Mumbai Airport Customs seize USD 90,000, 2.5 kg gold concealed in books; two foreign nationals arrested

Mumbai: With the seizures of USD 90,000 and more than 2.5 kg of gold paste, the Mumbai Airport Customs officials have discovered yet another unique way which smugglers are resorting to. Besides the impounded assets, two foreign nationals were also arrested in two separate cases detected on Sunday and Monday.

According to the Customs, dollars were concealed in pages of books, while gold was being smuggled in paste form. During the examination of the two suspects, the officials learnt that they were involved in smuggling.

“Nowadays, smugglers are using unique modus-operandi to peddle foreign currencies. In the current case, the foreign currencies were cleverly concealed in pages of the books. Earlier this month, the Mumbai Airport Customs had seized foreign currencies equivalent to Rs1.5 crore from an Indian passenger travelling to Dubai. Currency notes included USD, Pounds, Riyals and Dirhams ingeniously concealed in side walls of two fruit cartons,” said a Customs official.

The Customs sources claimed that efforts are underway to trace the supplier and recipients of foreign currency and gold.

Seizures at airport this month

Jan 10

Foreign currencies equivalent to Rs1.5 crore found hidden in fruits cartons

Jan 6

2.81 kg cocaine valued at Rs28.10 crore found concealed in duffle bag

Another seizure same day

1.596 kg cocaine valued at Rs15.96 crore ingeniously hidden in clothes buttons.

Jan 5

4 lakh cigarette sticks valued at Rs30 lakh impounded; 2,000 undeclared cigarette cartons found

Jan 4

4.47 kg heroin valued at Rs31.29 crore found hidden in folder covers