MUMBAI: Mumbai Customs seized gold worth Rs120 million in four various raids and arrested three persons, including an Indian citizen at Mumbai airport.
Two of the seizures were made from passengers who were trying to smuggle the yellow metal into the city while the other two were unclaimed and were found concealed in a flight toilet and under a flight seat.
In the first raid, the customs detained Himanshu Pals, a Fiji passport holder, and retrieved three silver coloured chains from him. Custom officials said that the chains are made of gold and amount to Rs 24.68 lakhs. The passenger had arrived at the international Mumbai airport from Singapore.
The Customs also seized 10 gold bars of gold weighing 10 tolas each from another passenger, Kiranji Thakor, who is an Indian resident. Thakor had arrived at the international airport from Dubai. The total weight of the gold seized from him is 1.16 kgs which amounts to Rs 28.62 lakhs.
Based on information received by the Customs, two cut pieces of unclaimed gold worth Rs 24.68 lakhs was recovered from the toilet an aircraft while 16 gold bars of 10 tolas were recovered from under the seat of another aircraft.
