Mumbai: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) arrested one passenger who had concealed Rs. 28 lakh of the new series of Rs 2000 bank notes in his jeans. The passenger, Ashraf Unichiram Veettil, was holding Indian passport and was intercepted at Mumbai airport on Thursday when he was trying to catch a Jet Airways flight for Dubai.
“Based on the profiling and intelligence, the AIU officers intercepted Veettil. The search in his checked in baggage resulted in the recovery of Indian currency amounting to Rs. 28,00,000 of Rs 2000 denomination,” said an AIU officer.
Veettil has revealed before AIU officials that the money was being smuggled out of India. “He told us that the money belongs to a different person naming Siddhiqui and he was just carrying it out of India for monetary consideration of Rs. 20,000 and free air ticket to Dubai,” the officer said.
“The passenger had concealed the said currency in his jeans pant and camouflaged the same by putting other items like rice cooker, plastic toys, and tissue papers around it,” the officer added.
“The passenger in his statement recorded under section 108 of the Customs Act 1962. He has admitted the possession, carriage, concealment and recovery of the said Indian currency from his baggage. The said currency was being smuggled out of India in the contravention of provisions of Customs Act, 1962,” he said.
Veettil has been arrested under section 104 of the Customs Act and further investigation is underway.
