Three Indian flyers were intercepted by the Mumbai Air Customs while attempting to smuggle three 24karat gold bars valued at Rs1.60 crore.
The gold bars were concealed and taped under the baggage trolleys used by the air travelers to transfer their luggage from the conveyor belt to outside the airport terminal. The three passengers were arrested on Friday after they confessed to smuggling the bars to evade customs duties.
Airport customs seize gold worth Rs 360 crore in the last 11 months
Mumbai airport has earned the dubious distinction of being the top destination for gold smuggling in India with seizure of 604kg worth Rs360 crore in the last 11 months. It has overtaken Delhi airport, where 374kg of gold was reportedly seized in this duration, and Chennai Airport with 306kg gold seizure.
“Mumbai is a transit hub for gold. Several syndicates, including bullion traders, jewellers and overseas financiers, are involved in gold smuggling because of duty difference and huge margins,” explained a senior airport customs officer.
Earlier last month, the Customs department had seized 11kg gold valued at Rs5 crore in two separate cases wherein a passenger arriving from Dubai had tried to smuggle 9kg of gold bars, while in another case 2.1kg of gold dust in wax form was intercepted. Both the transit passengers had handed the smuggled gold consignment to an airport lounge staffer in the departure hall to take out from the airport terminal to an accomplice waiting outside.
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