Mumbai Airport Customs seizes ₹3.60 crore worth of smuggled gold; 4 arrested, including 3 staff members | Representational image
Mumbai: The Mumbai Airport Customs officials in two separate cases have seized smuggled gold totally worth Rs 3.60 crore. The agency officials have arrested four persons, including three airport staff in these cases.
In the first case, during the day duty of 13.03.2025, on the basis of spot profiling, the customs officers after a discreet watch intercepted a staff Sayyed Mehtab who works at a food joint at the airport and recovered seven (07) capsules purported to be gold dust from the said staff, which he had concealed in the supporter worn by him under his trousers worn by him. Gold dust having net weight of 2900 grams, provisionally valued at Rs. 2.36 crore were seized.
On confronting, Mehtab admitted that all the seven capsules were handed over to him by an international transit passenger. Thereafter some of the officers escorted Mehtab for the purpose of tracing the said transit passenger. However, he could not be traced. Thereafter officers for the purpose of tracing the receiver, took the said staff outside the airport but couldn’t trace the receiver.
Mehtab admitted to have possession, concealment, carriage and recovery of seized goods in lieu of monetary consideration, agency officials said.
In the second case, during the intervening night duty of 13/14.03.2025, on the basis of spot profiling, the customs officers after keeping discreet watch intercepted Pradip Pawar and recovered two pouches containing yellow material purported to be gold dust, which he had concealed in the supporter worn by him under his pant.
“On confronting Pawar admitted that two pouches were handed over to him by a transit passenger and he was to deliver to some unknown person waiting outside Mumbai Airport. Thereafter some of the officers escorted Pawar for the purpose of tracing the said transit passenger. However, he could not be traced. So the officer took the accused outside to identify the person waiting to receive the pouches from Airport staff outside Airport. Soon after calling to handler, the receiver came and asked Pawar to hand over the pouches containing gold dust. The officers apprehended him swiftly,” said the official.
The officials seized gold having net weight of 1610 grams, provisionally valued at Rs. 1.31 crore.
“Mohammad Imran Nagori (receiver) admitted to have acted as link between main handler Abdul Wahid and Airport staff who used to receive gold dust from transit passengers and hand it over to him by discreetly passing it out of Mumbai Airport. He has also admitted to have received the pouches/oval shaped capsules containing gold dust and handed over the same to main handler on five to six occasions. He has also admitted to have received four pouches containing gold dust from another Airport staff named Anshu Gupta and also admitted to have handed over cash of Rs. 50,000 to Gupta as her remuneration for receiving gold dust from transit passenger and for handing it over to him. Pawar, Nagori and Gupta were then placed under arrest,” said the official.
The accused persons were represented by advocates Vinayak Shukla and A. Singh.
