Mumbai: Customs seize gold worth Rs 43 lakh at airport

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Mumbai Customs officials on Saturday said that they have seized 24 KT gold dust and 24 KT jewellery valued at Rs 43 lakh from an Indian national travelling from Dubai, the ANI reported.

"Officers of Mumbai Airport Customs on February 3 seized 24 KT gold dust and 24 KT jewellery valued at Rs 43 lakh from an Indian national travelling from Dubai," Customs said in a release, as per the ANI.

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The gold was ingeniously concealed in chocolate boxes and baby powder containers carried by the passenger, they said.

Meanwhile, last month, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had said that it has seized smuggled cocaine worth over Rs 6 crore at Mumbai airport and a Venezuelan national was held in connection with the matter.

According to the DRI, based on specific intelligence, officers of DRI intercepted one male Venezuelan passenger suspected to be carrying drugs, at the Mumbai airport on January 16. On questioning the passenger, he admitted to have ingested capsules containing drugs and carrying the same in his body for smuggling into India.

"The passenger was produced before the Magistrate and as per the court order, he was admitted at JJ Hospital in Mumbai," the DRI said.

It said that a total of 57 capsules containing 628 grams of cocaine, valued at Rs 6.2 crore, were recovered from his body and seized on 18.01.2023, under the NDPS Act, 1985.

The said passenger was arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985 and remanded to judicial custody. Further investigation is underway to trace other members of this international syndicate involved in illegal smuggling of drugs into India, the DRI said.

In an another incident, last month, the officers from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit seized gold worth over Rs 2 crore at Mumbai airport. They arrested two travellers arriving from Jeddah at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Based on specific intelligence, the passengers were searched, exposing 1 kg of gold dust in wax sewn into their innerwear.

"Based on the specific intelligence received, the officers of DRI, Mumbai Zonal Unit, intercepted two passengers who arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai from Jeddah on 16.01.2024. The passengers were searched and 1 Kg Gold dust in wax form, which was specially stitched in the innerwear of both passengers was seized from each of them," the statement from DRI read.

(with ANI inputs)