26 October,2014 07:07 AM IST | | Neha LM Tripathi
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Customs seized 14.254 kg of gold valued at a whopping Rs 3.55 crore on Friday night. The smugglers travelled from Dubai, Nairobi and Kuala Lumpur
Mumbai Customs, Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), Rs 3.55 crore gold seizure, smugglers, Mumbai airport, Mumbai news
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Customs seized 14.254 kg of gold valued at Rs 3.55 crore on Friday night.
On Thursday night, Batch B of the unit made two arrests which led to the seizure of gold worth over Rs 2 crore. Seven pieces of crude gold bars (5,270 gm), were seized from Randria Honitrinio, who held a Madagascar passport. In the second case, four pieces of crude gold bars, weighing 3,100 kg, were seized. The gold, worth Rs 77,13,436, was seized from passenger Razanadrasoa Chantal Claudine, who also bore a Madagascar passport.
Some of the gold bars seized by the Air Intelligence Unit
Both passengers had arrived from Nairobi.
The following night, 14 kg of gold was seized through five arrests, making it the biggest seizure in two months. In the first case, four cut pieces of gold bars (1,998 gm, worth (Rs 49, 71,434) were seized from Amirah Bibi, who was travelling from Kuala Lumpur. The arrests of husband-wife duo, Shaikh Sarfaraz Abdul Latif and Shaikh Kahekashan Sarfaraz, an affluent couple from Colaba travelling from Dubai, led to the seizure of gold worth Rs 99,52,820. The fourth arrest of Mira Road resident Fazlatunnisa Mohammad Salim Abdul Rehman from Dammam, led to the seizure of 27 gold bars of 10 tolas each. Rehman, who was around six months pregnant, travelled on a wheelchair with an infant. The gold was concealed in a sanitary napkin.
The last arrest on Saturday, led to the seizure of nine gold bars of 10 tolas each and one gold bar. The smuggler, Tajwar Harim, was travelling from Dammam.
"In all the cases, the gold was concealed in the passengers' underclothes," said an AIU officer of Mumbai Customs.
