The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 144 kilos of gold, worth Rs76.2 crore, at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in the past six months.
Earlier this week, the agency, acting on specific intelligence, mounted surveillance and intercepted two passengers coming from Dubai with 3,535 grams of gold in paste form.
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The passengers, who arrived on Emirates Flight EK 500, had concealed the gold in four plastic pouches wrapped in black tapes, officials said. According to the officials, the contraband, valued at Rs 2.23 crore, was smuggled by a syndicate based in Dubai. The passengers were part of the syndicate, the officials said.
“The gold syndicate smuggles substantial contraband on a daily basis. It is an uphill task faced by the officers on a regular basis to detect smuggling of gold in various forms into the country,” a senior official said. Last month the DRI had foiled an attempt to sneak in 16.36 kilos of gold in paste form valued at Rs10.16 crore. The gold was concealed in the rectum of 19 Sudanese women passengers.
