Man held at Mumbai airport with gold valued at Rs 2.28cr
Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 May, 2023 11:14 AM
New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) The Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Thursday seized 4.2 kg gold valued at Rs 2.28 crore, and detained a man in this connection.
A senior Customs officer said that the accused arrived at Mumbai Airport from Muscat.
"What made this operation particularly intriguing was the meticulous and unconventional manner in which the smuggler had hidden the gold, stitching pockets within various parts of his clothing, including jeans, undergarments, and knee caps," the Customs officer said.
The officer said that the smuggling technique employed in this case demonstrates the lengths to which individuals will go to evade authorities
"The recovered gold has been seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act. The passenger has been placed under arrest in terms of Section 104 of the Customs Act," the officer added.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Manpreet Singh and Bhupinder Singh -- both from Faridkot; and Baljit Singh of Muktsar Sahib. The DGP said the police had established the identity of two of the main shooters -- Manpreet and Bhupinder -- on the first day of the crime and a manhunt was launched in this regard.
Police said that they have arrested nine people, including an Assam Rifles Head Constable, of the gang. Meanwhile, a manhunt has been initiated to nab other accused which also includes a Delhi-based lawyer.
Keeping in view the declining cases of Covid-19 in the country, the government on Wednesday removed mandatory requirement to wear masks in flights. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the decision has been taken following a review meeting on the issue with the Ministry of Health.
A police spokesperson said the case properties of drug cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, in Amritsar and Fazilka were destroyed on Tuesday.
Addressing a gathering during at a state-level function to mark the martyrdom day of the Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha at his native village here, the Chief Minister said bestowing the Bharat Ratna award to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, Shaheed Rajguru, Shaheed Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai and others will enhance the prestige of this award.
A Delhi Police team on Wednesday again visited the rented house, in south Delhi's Chhattarpur, of Aftab Ameen Poonawalla (28), who has been arrested for allegedly killing his live-in partner and chopping her body into 35 pieces for disposal. According to a senior police official, the police team, along with forensic teams, inspected the house again.