Chennai:Talk about innovations in gold smuggling and this woman takes the cake. Zuraiya Mumtaz, a 55-year-old Sri Lankan national, was arrested at Chennai airport in the wee hours of Thursday for smuggling in gold biscuits weighing 700g hidden in her wig.
Before Mumtaz arrived from Colombo by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight, officials had received specific intelligence about a possible courier coming to the city with gold concealed either on the body or in the baggage. Mumtaz managed to clear the Customs counter and was almost on her way out. When customs officials stopped her at the door, she resisted their attempts to search her. CISF women personnel were called in to help.
They checked her baggage but found nothing. The customs officials then asked the women personnel to carry out a body search which too proved futile. One official insisted that the personnel carry out a search of her wig and head bun. Mumtaz said she was balding and hence she wore a wig and pleaded to be let off. When the women personnel searched the head bun, gold biscuits came tumbling down.
The officials recovered seven gold bars weighing nearly 100gm each, together valued at 25 lakh.
02/11/12 Times of India
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Before Mumtaz arrived from Colombo by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight, officials had received specific intelligence about a possible courier coming to the city with gold concealed either on the body or in the baggage. Mumtaz managed to clear the Customs counter and was almost on her way out. When customs officials stopped her at the door, she resisted their attempts to search her. CISF women personnel were called in to help.
They checked her baggage but found nothing. The customs officials then asked the women personnel to carry out a body search which too proved futile. One official insisted that the personnel carry out a search of her wig and head bun. Mumtaz said she was balding and hence she wore a wig and pleaded to be let off. When the women personnel searched the head bun, gold biscuits came tumbling down.
The officials recovered seven gold bars weighing nearly 100gm each, together valued at 25 lakh.
02/11/12 Times of India
