Customs seize 6.33kg gold worth Rs 3.49 crore at Mumbai airport

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Customs officials at Mumbai Airport have intercepted a significant amount of gold totalling 6.33 kilograms, valued at 3.49 crore rupees, in five separate cases involving Indian nationals.

The gold was concealed by the accused individuals, hidden within various items including their clothing, mobile chargers, purses, hair dryers, and even the corner piping of check-in bags, newswire PTI reported.

This seizure follows another notable interception by Mumbai Customs officials at Guwahati Railway Station, where 1997.96 grams of smuggled gold, comprising 12 bars and 5 coins, worth Rs 1.28 crore, were confiscated from a single individual.

The seized items were concealed inside the waistline of the trousers worn by the accused, according to the customs officials.

Meanwhile, Mumbai police has found over 200 files and documents related to cases under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the possession of persons arrested last month for their alleged involvement in attempting to extort Rs 164 crore from a real estate developer.

According to officials as reported by newswire PTI, the six accused apprehended in the extortion case had purportedly threatened the real estate developer with ED action or even death if he failed to comply with their demands.

During the probe, the crime branch team found the accused persons had more than 200 files and papers pertaining to cases which are being examined by the ED, an official told PTI. These details came to light during the interrogation of the accused, he said.

The police suspect the arrested persons might have extorted more than Rs 100 crore from businessmen and builders by threatening them with ED action against them, he said.

The papers found with the arrested persons also include those pertaining to the Mahadev betting app case in which more than 30 people have been named as accused, the official said.

Last month, a case under IPC section 386 (extortion by putting person in fear of death) was registered at Bandra police station and the crime branch is conducting further probe into it.

The FIR also named a "person from ED," the official said.

The main accused in the extortion case is also a builder who was once the complainant's partner in a real estate project, a Mumbai crime branch official earlier said.

As per the complainant, he and the accused builder were jointly redeveloping an old housing society building in Bandra area of Mumbai.

But as the accused's work was not satisfactory, the society gave development rights for the entire premises to the complainant.

The complainant subsequently paid off all the dues of the accused, the official said. (With inputs from agencies)