Mumbai: In a series of cases in the last three days, Mumbai Airport Customs has seized 11.7 kg of gold valued at Rs 5.48 crore and arrested eight passengers. The gold was concealed in different ways inside the body cavity, undergarments, shoes, and a specially designed waist belt, officials claimed, officials said.
On September 12-13, officers of Customs, CSMI Airport, Mumbai seized 6783 grams of gold valued at Rs 3.05 crore, attempting to be smuggled through the airport in ingenious ways across six different cases.
"In one case, two gold chains weighing 1500 grams, valued at Rs 67,21,598 were seized from an Indian passenger who landed from Dubai. The gold was concealed in the undergarments of the passenger," a customs official said.
On the basis of suspicion, a passenger in a wheelchair was intercepted. As a result, 302 grams of gold, valued at Rs 13,54,760, were recovered from that passenger, which was concealed in undergarments. The passenger had arrived from Dubai.
The customs had seized 624 grams of gold valued at Rs 26,25,905 from a passenger who came from Sharjah. The gold, in wax form, was concealed in the undergarments of the passenger.
Based on information from DRI Bangalore Zonal Unit, 636 grams of gold valued at Rs 26,88,640 were seized from an Indian passenger who had arrived from Hyderabad. The passenger had earlier arrived at Hyderabad airport from Dubai. The gold was concealed inside the body cavity of the passenger in the form of gold dust in wax.
"On the basis of suspicion, two passengers, a mother and son duo who came on a wheelchair, were intercepted and personally searched, leading to the recovery of 1483 grams of gold valued at Rs. 64,06,331 who landed from Dubai. The gold was in the form of two tola bars and crude jewellery concealed in the clothes and shoes of both passengers," the official said.
In another case, customs seized 2238 grams of gold valued at Rs 1,07,03,160 from an Indian passenger who landed from Doha. Gold was in the wax form of gold, concealed in a specially designed belt worn on the waist by the passenger.
During the intervening night of September 14–15, customs seized 5012 grams of gold valued at Rs 2.43 crore in three different cases. In all three of these cases, gold was concealed in undergarments by the passenger.
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