Customs officials nab Mohammed Shoaib in possession of chemical at airport, convinced that a larger network is operating on the Hong Kong-Bangkok-India air routes
Customs officials nab Mohammed Shoaib in possession of chemical at airport, convinced that a larger network is operating on the Hong Kong-Bangkok-India air routes
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In a major breakthrough, Customs officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport have cracked down on an international Iridium smuggling racket, operating in a network that includes cities like Hong Kong and Bangkok.
On Monday night, Sameer Wankhede, the deputy commissioner of Customs, intercepted Mohammed Shoaib (46), a resident of Dongri, after he touched down on a Kingfisher flight from Hong Kong. Shoaib successfully managed to clear the green channel and was on his way to the exit, before being nabbed in the nick of time.
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"His movements at the green channel aroused our suspicion, and thus we were closely monitoring him. After clearing the channel, he appeared to be in a tearing rush, and this strengthened our suspicions. We accosted him and asked him to show his baggage," said an Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) official of Mumbai Customs department.
Shoaib put up a brave front, claiming that the powder in his bag was used for polishing gold. "He appeared very confident. He had cleverly stored the powder in separate bags, and tried to make it inconspicuous by carrying various other condiments and edibles.
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But our team of experts confirmed that the powder was Iridium, the total weight of which was about one kg, and the price of which was between Rs 18 to 20 lakh in the international market," he added.
In his statement, Shoaib revealed that he flew frequently on the Hong Kong route, to deliver consignments of the costly chemical to clients, acting under the instructions of bosses operating in Hong Kong. "During the interrogation he admitted to working under the instructions of bosses in Hong Kong.
He also admitted that smuggling Iridium was his only source of livelihood. We suspect that he is part of an international racket, and that there are others who use the same air route to smuggle Iridium," said another AIU official.
AIU Additional Commissioner Mahendra Pal told MiD DAY, "He was intercepted as part of a routine check, and the Iridium packets were dug out from his bags.
He had also stashed a portion of the chemical in his socks. In his statement he admitted that he was taking instructions from an individual outside the Mumbai Airport, to whom he was supposed to deliver the consignment."
Recent incidents
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized four kgs of Iridium last February from four youths who reached Kolkata airport from Hong Kong via Bangkok.
In March, the DRI arrested recovered four kgs of Iridium from two Chennai-based youths at the
Thiruvananthapuram airport, after they alighted from a Hong Kong-Colombo-Thiruvananthapuram flight. All three cases point to the existence of a smuggling network operating in the Hong Kong-Bangkok-India route.
What is Iridium?
Iridium is a very hard, brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the Platinum family. It is one of the most dense elements in the table. It is also the most resistant to corrosion. This metal has industrial uses as it can be moulded to make high-end heat resistant devices. Jewellers have used the metal to enhance the weight of gold.
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