Mumbai: The Mumbai Airport Customs officials, during June 14 & 16 have seized over 10.78 kilograms of gold valued at Rs 6.71 crore across 11 cases, officials said on Sunday. The gold was found concealed in various forms like gold dust in wax, crude jewellery, gold bars in an ingenious way inside, in pockets, in body and on the body of passengers. Two passengers were arrested in some of these cases of smuggling.
According to the Customs, two Indian nationals, travelling from Sharjah to Mumbai and from Mumbai to Kathmandu were intercepted and found carrying gold dust in wax having a total net weight of 7110 grams that was found concealed in a pocket of pant worn by one of the passengers and in the body of another. The said two passengers were then placed under arrest for their alleged involvement in smuggling activities.
.jpg)
"Two Foreign nationals, travelling from Dubai and Addis Ababa were intercepted and found carrying 501 grams of gold concealed in the body and on the body of the passenger. Seven Indian nationals travelling from Abu Dhabi (06), Ras Al Khaimah (01) were intercepted and found carrying 3173 grams gold concealed in body and on the body of passenger," said a Customs official, adding that the agency is probing who had handed over the gold to these passengers in 11 cases and who were supposed to receive them in Mumbai.
The investigations in some of the cases in the past has revealed that the accused purchased the gold from abroad and were supposed to sell the gold in the local market in India to make profits from the same since they knew there is a huge difference in the value of gold in India and foreign countries.
The Mumbai Airport Customs during June 11 & 13 had seized over 10.50 kilograms of gold valued at Rs 6.64 crore across 15 cases. The gold was found concealed in various forms like gold dust in wax, crude jewellery, gold bars in an ingenious way inside the wheels of the trolley suitcase, under the seat of a bus, on the body and in the body of passengers.
.jpg)