During the night duty of AIU batch on 23/24 May, on the basis of profiling and surveillance, four Sudanese passengers departing from Mumbai to Khartoum via Addis Abada on Flight ET 611 were intercepted.
The detailed examination of cabin baggage of the passengers resulted into recovery of foreign currency in USD worth 11,47,700 (equivalent to 9 crore rupees approximately) concealed between layers of clothings inside the bag.
During this exercise, it was observed that one Sudanese passenger had not boarded the flight and was a “no show” on the manifest.
The intercepted passengers were questioned and one of the them confessed that there were total five Sudanese passengers carrying foreign currency. During such interrogation, the location of stay along with the room number of the fifth passenger, who had not boarded the flight, was recovered.
In a follow up action, search was conducted at premises of Hotel Mariam. During the search, the fifth passenger, who had not boarded the flight, was apprehended with illicit foreign currency in USD worth 4,38,000 (equivalent to 3.4 crore rupees approximately).
All the five passengers had arrived to Mumbai on 23rd May from Khartoum via Addis Ababa on Flight ET 610. They had stayed for one day at Hotel Mariam and then proceeded to leave Mumbai by the next day flight.
On further interrogation, it has been found that these passengers were actively involved in a smuggling racket that would collectively smuggle illicit gold into India and depart with foreign currency (from the sales proceed of the illicit smuggled gold) to Khartoum.
Total recovery in this case has been USD worth 16 Lakh (equivalent to 12.4 crore rupees approximately).
Four Sudanese nationals have been arrested, in the matter. Further investigations in the matter are ongoing.
