Rahat Fateh Ali Khan stopped at IGI airport with cash in baggage

New Delhi: Acclaimed Pakistani sufi singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained on Sunday at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport by officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for allegedly carrying undeclared currency to the tune of 1.24 lakh US dollars, along with Pakistani and Indian currency, sources told Newsline.
Khan (37) was detained at the airport around 3.45 pm. Till the time of filing of the report, he was with DRI officials. Around 11 pm, DRI was going to begin questioning Khan and his entourage of 14 persons, officials said.
Khan was to board an Emirates flight to Karachi via Dubai (EK 517), scheduled to take off around 4 pm, when the currency was found in his baggage. Khan was here to perform at an Indo-Pakistan peace initiative.
“The questioning will go on for another five hours, at least. All the 15 are under detention. A decision on their arrest has not been taken,” a source said.
As per norms, a foreign national cannot carry more than $ 5,000 in cash and $ 5,000 in other instruments — a greater amount has to be declared to the Customs Department. A person can take out of the country an amount equivalent to what he had declared on entering.
14/02/11 Geeta Gupta/Indian Express

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Categories: Airports Feb 2011, Foreign Feb 2011