Mumbai: Three passengers were arrested from the airport, in two separate cases, on Friday for smuggling in 7.2 kg gold, worth Rs 2.14 crore, by hiding it in hooks and supports of old trousers and a roller used by jewellers. Just a couple of days ago, three persons were caught smuggling in gold concealed inside their rectums.
In the first case on Friday, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) nabbed a woman and her accomplice for smuggling 4.2 kg gold in the form of hooks and supports of old trousers and coating them with silver colour. Officials said that when they noticed an old clothes consignment, declared to be worth Rs 13,000, was unusually heavy, they opened the cargo. The clothes were imported by one Usha Mudaliar, who had arrived from Dubai a few days ago. As the hooks and hook supports were very heavy, they scratched them only to find that they were made of gold and coated with silver colour. Officials seized 364 such pieces, totally weighing 4.2 kg and worth Rs 1.14 crore, from 91 trousers.
Mudaliar denied having imported them and told officials that she had given her passport to a woman friend, Durriya Soni, a few days ago for monetary consideration. Soni allegedly used the passport to get the consignment cleared for her accomplice, Yusuf Lokhandwala, through an agent. The DRI has arrested Soni and Lokhandwala. Officials said the duo had adopted similar modus operandi in the past for smuggling gold.
In the second case, the Air-Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the customs intercepted a passenger from Dubai at the airport on suspicion. When they checked Shadab Khan's check-in baggage, they found a steel roller in it. Khan told officials that a person wanted him to deliver it for polishing at an office in Andheri. Khan also produced a document for the roller—it is mostly used for making ornaments.
19/02/17 Vijay V Singh/Times of India
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In the first case on Friday, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) nabbed a woman and her accomplice for smuggling 4.2 kg gold in the form of hooks and supports of old trousers and coating them with silver colour. Officials said that when they noticed an old clothes consignment, declared to be worth Rs 13,000, was unusually heavy, they opened the cargo. The clothes were imported by one Usha Mudaliar, who had arrived from Dubai a few days ago. As the hooks and hook supports were very heavy, they scratched them only to find that they were made of gold and coated with silver colour. Officials seized 364 such pieces, totally weighing 4.2 kg and worth Rs 1.14 crore, from 91 trousers.
Mudaliar denied having imported them and told officials that she had given her passport to a woman friend, Durriya Soni, a few days ago for monetary consideration. Soni allegedly used the passport to get the consignment cleared for her accomplice, Yusuf Lokhandwala, through an agent. The DRI has arrested Soni and Lokhandwala. Officials said the duo had adopted similar modus operandi in the past for smuggling gold.
In the second case, the Air-Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the customs intercepted a passenger from Dubai at the airport on suspicion. When they checked Shadab Khan's check-in baggage, they found a steel roller in it. Khan told officials that a person wanted him to deliver it for polishing at an office in Andheri. Khan also produced a document for the roller—it is mostly used for making ornaments.
19/02/17 Vijay V Singh/Times of India
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