26 February,2024 07:11 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva Agashe
Najma Mohammad Sheikh was in possession of gold worth Rs 1.58 crore; (right) One of the accused Khadija Tulu, was found with gold worth Rs 1.30 crore
The AIR Intelligence Unit (AIU) had apprehended two Kenyan citizens for allegedly smuggling gold worth about Rs 3 crore in two separate incidents. According to the police, the duo intended to sell the smuggled gold and earn profits.
The matter came to light when the AIU found two passengers behaving in a suspicious manner and further interrogation revealed that both the passengers had gold in their possession. One of the accused identified as Khadija Tulu, 48, was traveling from Nairobi and had landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on February 24.
On questioning the accused, the police found 2,442 grams of gold worth Rs 1.30 crore in her possession. Tulu confessed to the police that she had purchased gold from Nairobi on credit and she intended to sell the gold in a local market in India. In another instance, the AIU had apprehended another woman who was identified as Najma Mohammad Sheikh, 34.
According to the police, Sheikh was travelling from Nairobi to Mumbai on February 24. They found her activities to be suspicious and hence they interrogated her and then apprehended her on February 25. She was found in possession of 2,950 grams of gold worth Rs 1.58 crore. According to the police, she had confessed that she had purchased gold from a local market in Nairobi and had intended to sell the gold in a local market in India. She was aware of the difference of the price of gold in India and Kenya and she intended to make profits by selling.
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The duo who run a business in Kenya, didn't know each other. Advocate Prabhakar Tripathi who represented the accused, said, "The police are yet to make any recovery. There is a communication barrier between the police and the accused and hence we have filed for retraction of the statement. We have also filed for bail." The duo had been booked under the relevant sections of the Customs Act and the Esplanade court has granted the duo a judicial custody of 14 days.
Feb 24
Day Khadija Tulu landed in city
