23 January,2014 06:58 AM IST | | Neha LM Tripathi
In yet another haul, officials of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) intercepted an Indian national and confiscated gold bars that were smartly concealed in talcum powder boxes.
In yet another haul, officials of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) intercepted an Indian national and confiscated gold bars that were smartly concealed in talcum powder boxes.
The gold bars that were recovered by AIU officials from the talcum powder boxes
The AIU officials intercepted M K Sathar, who had flown in from Dubai, around 2 am yesterday. Upon scrutinising his luggage, officials found 1,045 gm of gold worth Rs 26.45 lakh cleverly hidden inside talcum powder boxes. The consignment was concealed between silver-coloured metal sheets and boxes.
"The coating was done in such a way that at first glance, they looked like regular powder boxes. It wasn't until we emptied them that we found that the boxes felt unusually heavy. So, we decide to dismantle them. This is a unique way of smuggling gold. One of the rarest. Our team did an excellent job," a Customs official said.
15 kg of drugs confiscated
In yet another case, a Zambian national was held for attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country. Officials arrested Ngona Joyce, who was supposed to travel to South Africa on Wednesday afternoon, and recovered 14.9 kg of methaqualone in her possession. The narcotic was concealed in cardboard boxes wrapped in lace. Joyce had travelled from Delhi to Mumbai by a Jet Airways flight, and was to leave for South Africa. A sniffer dog, Amol, confirmed the presence of drugs in Joyce's luggage.
