MUMBAI: In a case of sheer good luck for the Mumbai airport customs, its sleuths managed to recover and bring back gold worth Rs 55 lakh that had been successfully smuggled out of the airport, by trapping its transporter at a mall in Bhayander.
Pavan Shekhar Raikar, 25, and Mandar Sajjan Alve, 29, both jewellers from Goa , had arrived by Thai Airways flight TG-317 on Monday night. While Alve was stopped by officials, Raikar walked out without raising suspicion. Alve was found to be carrying a single gold bar weighing 762 grams and worth Rs 18 lakh.
“As Alve was being questioned, he broke down and revealed that Raikar was his partner in crime and was carrying 2 kg of gold,” a customs officer revealed.
Officials launched a search across the area surrounding the airport only to discover that he had already left.
Realising that fast action on their part would alone lead to the recovery of the smuggled gold, customs officials used Alve to make a call to Raikar asking him to come to Maxus Mall at Bhayandar, where a team led by officer Anoop Pande lay in wait.
“Raikar was made to believe that Chandramohan, the person to whom the gold was to be handed over, would be at the mall.
The plan worked and he was caught,” Air Intelligence Unit chief Kiran Kumar Karlapu said. Raikar was found with 3 gold bars worth Rs 55 lakh.
In another case reported a few hours later, the airport customs nabbed Arifa Mohammed Kalim Qureshi who had arrived from Dubai by flight number 9W543.
“Her detention led to the recovery of 7 gold bars, each of 10 tolas, and assorted jewellery. The total weighed 1.38 kg and was hidden in a waist bag tied around her waist below her garments,” an official said, adding that the gold was valued at Rs 33 lakh.
