Smuggler held with Rs 95 lakh gold at CSIA

Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers have arrested a 33-yearold gold smuggler at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) Mumbai on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

AIU officers have seized 27 gold bars of 10 tolas each collectively weighing 3.13 kg with a market value is Rs 95 lakh from his possession.

“We intercepted Vipul Kumar Nathubhai (33) at CSIA on his arrival from Dubai by Emirates flight number EK 500. He is a resident of Surat district of Gujarat. The examination of his baggage resulted in the recovery of gold bars worth Rs 95 lakh,” said Pradnyasheel Jumle, Deputy Commissioner of Customs (AIU).

“The said gold bars were cleverly wrapped with black coloured adhesive tape and the same were kept in a 'Jim Beam' liquor tin box purchased in a duty-free shop. A case was registered and he was arrested,” said Jumle.

Nathubhai is into the business of brokerage in diamonds at Surat. He acted as a carrier to smuggle the said goods for a monetary consideration.

Bus driver assaulted

In a case of road rage in Kandivali (East), a group of four youths including the driver of an Innova car assaulted a 42-year-old BEST bus driver following an argument. One arrested and three others are at large.

“The Innova driver blocked the road near Kandivali station (east). When the BEST bus driver, Umesh Shinde, asked the Innova driver to give him space, the latter refused and asked Shinde to go through the narrow passage. The car’s wing mirror got scratched by the right front portion of the bus,” said an officer from Samata Nagar police station. Staff Reporter