Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai seized foreign-origin gold worth Rs 6.30 crore from a passenger arriving at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai from Bangkok on Friday night.
The revenue intelligence sleuths acting on specific intelligence intercepted a passenger from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight TG 317 for a detailed personal search leading to recovery of 14 gold bars of various weights cumulatively weighing 6,735.42 grams.
The gold, valued at approximately Rs 6.30 crore were ingenuously concealed in the flyers shoe. “The concealment was ingenious, and the gold bars were found hidden in the footwear worn by the passenger,” revealed a DRI official.
The sustained interrogation of the detained passenger with the contraband gold led to disclosure of the intended recipient of the smuggled gold. Based on the information of the detained passenger, the DRI apprehended the buyer for further investigation.
“In his statement, the buyer admitted to his involvement in the smuggling operation,” the official added. Both the passenger and the buyer were arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and smuggled gold seized for further investigation.
