Mumbai Crime: AIU officers flip out over gold bars in mobile covers

The gold bars were hidden inside mobile flip covers to make them look like mobile phones

Smugglers are probably the greatest innovators of them all. On Thursday night, the customs arrested a smuggler at the international airport with three gold bars weighing 2.997 kg concealed inside mobile covears.

The Air intelligence unit (AIU) of the Customs, intercepted Jitendra Solanki, who arrived from Bangkok by a private airline, and after he cleared the green channel, a personal search and examination of his baggage resulted in the discovery of three gold bars worth a total of Rs 87.51 lakh.

Officials said the gold bars were covered with black adhesive tape and each one cleverly fixed inside mobile flip covers to appear like mobile phones. The passenger on questioning, admitted to carrying and concealing the gold. He also told the officials that he was merely a carrier and that he was to hand over the gold to a person who was to identify himself based on some code.

He also told the AIU officials that he was to be paid for carrying the gold. The AIU is further probing whom the gold was to be delivered to and if there is a major international syndicate behind this.

AIU officials said they have activated their network and are keeping a strict watch on people ahead of the festive season when the demand for gold is very high and many times gold is brought into the country illegally and sold in the market by smugglers.

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