Smugglers with over Rs. 60 lakh gold caught at Mumbai airport

Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of customs department, recovered two gold bars, being illegally smuggled in Mumbai on Saturday morning

Mumbai: Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of customs department, recovered two gold bars, being illegally smuggled in Mumbai on Saturday morning. The passengers, caught in the custody of the bars, weighing 2.945 Kg in all and valued at Rs 60.74Lakhs was caught in possession of the gold at Domestic airport by AIU officials and was later left on personal cash bond of Rs 1 lakh. AUI officials confirmed that the gold was being secretely transported from underneath the toilet, from a prior Bangkok-Calcutta route of the aircraft.

The gold reovered

The incident came to light at 10.30am in the morning at domestic airport when AIU’s custom officials intercepted Rahuman Arif Ejaz Khan, a passenger arriving from Spicejet domestic flight SG 488 from Kolkata to Mumbai. The officials found the passenger in custody of two gold bars of 1kg each and one half cut gold bar weighing 495gms. While the total weight of the gold amounted to 2.495kg, it was believed to be valued at Rs.60.74 lakhs.

Speaking to mid-day, senior AIU official revealed, “The gold was hidden in the toilet of the same aircraft that was earlier scheduled for an international route of Bangkok-Calcutta. The accused passenger, originally from Chennai, then retrieved the gold from the toilet at Kolkata but failed to smuggle it in Mumbai as he was intercepted at the airport and gold was recovered,” said the official on the condition of anonymity.

Khan, who was arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962 was given bail on the personal bail bond of Rs 1 lakh.

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