AHMEDABAD: Ahmedabad zonal unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested three people, including two Jamnagar-based men and an Air India security official for smuggling 1.28 kg of gold, worth Rs 32.8 lakh, in through Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International airport.
According to DRI officials, intelligence had revealed that a carrier, Mosin Jamal Vahevariya, had boarded a flight to Dubai on December 9 and was returning by Fly Dubai flight FZ-437 on December 15 with a large quantity of gold with the intent to smuggle it into India with the help of the ground staff of an airline.
On arrival, Mosin handed the gold over in a washroom of the arrivals area, to Ravi Prakash Meena, who was working as security agent for Air India at the city airport. Meena then left the airport and at Paldi bus stand handed the smuggled gold to Mosin Jamal and the actual owner Jalu Nangesh. Nangesh had come from Dwarka to pick Mosin up.
DRI officials apprehended all three at Paldi. On examination, the officials found some goods duly wrapped in a small box of cigarettes. The trio also admitted that they had smuggled in two consignments of gold in the past with a similar modus operandi.According to their statements, they smuggled in around 3kg (25 bars of 116 g each) valued at more than Rs 60 lakh in the last two months. Ravi Meena works for Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL) at the international terminal of the city airport.
The accused have been arrested for their offence under Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation is underway.
