2 foreigners arrested for smuggling Rs 1.2 cr gold

Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers of the customs department have arrested two women smugglers at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai on Saturday and have recovered an assorted 24 carat crude gold jewellery collectively weighing 4 kilogram worth Rs 1.20 crore. Both the women are foreign nationals.

“Initially, we intercepted Santaletchmi Superamaniam (41), a Malaysian national and Magisvary Jairaman (59), a Singaporean national who arrived at CSIA from Singapore by the Jet Airways flight number 9W 009 at 3:00 pm on July 22. The personal search of these women passengers resulted in the recovery of assorted 24 carat crude gold jewellery collectively weighing 4 kg, valued at Rs 1.2 crore,” said Pradnyasheel Jumle, deputy commissioner of customs, AIU.

The officer said that both the women had concealed the gold jewellery including chains and kadas (bangles) on their waist and on their hand above the elbow to avoid customs check and detection.

“We have seized gold jewellery and both women passengers have been arrested,” said Jumle.

The officer said that one of their accomplices, who was waiting outside the airport to receive these women passengers and the smuggled gold, has also been arrested.

All of them have been booked under relevant sections of the Customs Act. On Sunday, all of them were produced before Mumbai’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court that has sent them to judicial custody. Further investigations are underway.

One of their accomplices, who was waiting outside the airport to receive these women passengers and the consignment, has also been arrested