Gold, foreign currency worth Rs 8 cr seized at Mumbai Airport in 24 hrs
Darpan News Desk IANS, 13 Oct, 2022 12:57 PM
Mumbai, Oct 13 (IANS) In its continued crackdown on smuggling, the Customs Department seized 15 kgs gold and foreign currencies of Rs 22 lakh in 24 hours, for which seven passengers have been arrested, an official said here on Thursday.
The haul by Mumbai Airport Customs was carried out during October 11-12 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, as part of the intensified drive to catch gold and foreign currency smugglers.
An Indian national, who flew from Dubai to Mumbai by an Emirates flight EK-500, was found with 9.9 kgs gold worth Rs 5.20 crore, hidden in a specially designed chest belt with nine pockets and wrapped around his chest and shoulders.
The accused revealed that the gold was handed over to him at Dubai by two Sudanese nationals who have also been nabbed and the trio has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
An Indian arriving from Chennai by an IndiGo flight 6E-6149, which had earlier arrived from Sharjah, was detected carrying 1.88 kgs gold dust worth nearly Rs one crore, concealed in his underwear.
In another detection, the Customs sleuths retrieved 1.068 kg and 1.185 kgs gold dust - totally worth over Rs 1.10 crore - in packets hidden in the underwear of two passengers, arriving here from Jeddah by a Saudia flight SV-772.
A Sudanese national, who landed here by an Emirates flight EK-504 from Dubai, was nabbed with gold dust of 973 gms in wax in eggs form, worth Rs 51 lakh, concealed in his rectum.
Besides, the Customs nabbed two Indians, who were about to board a SpiceJet flight SG-13 to Dubai, each carrying Dh 50,000 (Rs 11.20 lakh) and Dh 45,000 (Rs 10.08 lakh), concealed in round cavity of biscuits stuffed in their pockets, after they had crossed the Customs declaration counter.
In a status report before Justice Anoop Chitkara's Bench, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sukhnaaz Singh said in view of the facts and circumstances, it is evident that there is sufficient prima facie evidence on record which reveals that the petitioner is the main conspirator, who hatched conspiracy with Gaurav Patial (accused) for eliminating Middukhera.
In January 2019, a special CBI court in Panchkula also sentenced Rahim and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati over 16 years ago. His conviction on August 25, 2017 had led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured.
According to customs officials, "The gold was in the form of a paste which was wrapped in black tape in two packets. The total weight of the packets was 433 grams. After removing the tape and other impurities from gold, it weighs 397 grams."
The two accused -- Ankit Sersa and Sachin Chaudhary had been in the custody of the Delhi Police in an arms case. Chief metropolitan magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria granted their transit remand to the Mansa Police SIT team that is probing the murder of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala.
Mann said most of the time they had to run pillar to post for getting their work done. The Chief Minister said this dedicated cell will be a single-window platform for the persons with disabilities to avail the benefits of these schemes.
Patna Police have arrested Athar Parvez and Mohammed Jalaluddin -- a retired sub-inspector from Jharkhand -- from the Phulwari Sharif area. Later, three more individuals -- Margoob Danish, Arman Malik and Shabbir -- were arrested.
