Man arrested with gold bars worth Rs 35 lakh at airport
The officers of Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) have arrested one gold smuggler from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai on Friday and recovered gold bars worth Rs. 34.37 lakh from his possession.
The 41-year-old smuggler Mohammedali Kekepuram Mohammed was initially held on suspicion at CSIA after he arrived from Dubai by Emirates airlines flight number EK-508. Mohammed holds Indian passport and is the resident of Kasargod district of Kerala.
“The personal search of Mohammed resulted in the recovery of 10 gold bars of 10 tolas each totally weighing 1,165 grams which is worth Rs. 34.37 lakh. He had cleverly concealed the gold bars wrapped with plastic black coloured adhesive tape left it behind the cavity wall of faucet flush in the gents toilet located near the immigration counter,” said a senior customs officer.
The gold bars have been seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. The officer further said, “Mohammed admitted to crime of ownership, concealment, possession, carriage, non-declaration and recovery of the said goods under seizure.” He has been arrested under section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962.
Mohammed works as sales executive in Dubai. He hid the gold in the toilet near the immigration counter. Officers noticed a cavity in the toilet wall behind the flush faucet. The approach door leading to the area behind the toilet wall was locked which was opened by the plumbing staff. From the back side of the toilet, officers recovered two packets of 1,165 grams of gold bars.
Meanwhile, in yet another case, the AIU officers searched the Air India airlines flight number AI-984 which arrived from Dubai on July 21. During the search operation of the aircraft, the Customs officers recovered 10 pieces of gold bars, 10 tolas each totally weighing 1,165 grams worth Rs. 34.37 lakh.
The officer said that these gold bars were wrapped with white tape and were concealed below the box of tissue paper in the rear toilet of the aforesaid aircraft.
“The recovered gold was seized as unclaimed seizure under the provisions of the customs act, 1962 as there was no claimant in this case,” said the officer.
Further investigations are underway.