Mumbai: Customs bust smuggling ops of gold worth Rs 6.75 cr

Gold dust found in wax concealed in a sanitary pad worn by passenger

Customs officials at the Mumbai Airport have arrested 20 individuals, including seven foreign nationals, in connection with a gold smuggling operation. The operation has been able to seize a total of 9.76 kg of gold, valued at Rs 6.75 crores in the last three days. The officials also recovered foreign currency worth more than Rs 88 lakhs.

The arrested individuals were caught in 20 different cases under the Customs Act, with gold converted into dust and hidden away in wax (cooled liquid wax mixed with gold dust) and crude jewellery while some were gold bars. The smugglers employed various concealment methods, including hiding the gold and currency inside the plastic (opaque) shampoo bottles, rubber sheets, and sanitary pads, into the rectum, and some onto the passengers' bodies.

Gold hidden in bras

Two passengers travelling from Sharjah and Muscat to Mumbai were found carrying 24 KT gold dust in rubber sheets (recovered from prayer mats) and wax, totalling a whopping 2,850 grams. One passenger came up with the ingenious idea of filling the gold dust into the slits of the rubber sheets or pasting it with glue holding two sheets together. The other passenger strolled into security carrying some dust in his kurta pocket - both were apprehended by customs. In another case, three passengers travelling from Colombo and another two from Dubai were held for carrying 2,278.69 grams of gold. The gold was concealed in brassieres, stitched into shirts and jeans and hidden in the rectum.

Indians also apprehended

On the other hand, 13 Indian nationals travelling from different parts of the world were arrested by customs with gold and foreign currency, informed an official. One Indian national in particular, travelling from Mumbai to Bangkok, was found to be carrying foreign currency equivalent to R88,60,080. He, too, had concealed the cash inside two plastic shampoo bottles and was arrested after he failed to explain the said amount.

Another Indian national travelling from Dubai back to Mumbai was found carrying 24 KT gold dust in wax (1,110 grams) concealed in a sanitary pad and was arrested during the scanning by the customs. Further, nine other Indian Nationals travelling from Dubai, one from Muscat and one from Jeddah were found carrying 2,418 grams of gold and assorted high-value mobile phones. The items were concealed in anti-theft door locks, tray handles, and on the passengers' bodies.

Is airline staff involved?

Based on a tip-off, officials also searched another aircraft, leading to the recovery of 24 KT gold rods (1103 grams) and 24 KT gold dust in wax. Officials are looking into who - passenger or airline staff - might have been carrying the gold onboard.