AHMEDABAD: India Air Intelligence Unit of Customs department held an Udaipur-based man for smuggling 2 kilograms of gold worth Rs 5 million at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Bashir Mohammed Mansuri was held with seven gold bars which were concealed in an aluminum foil. This is the fourth incident of smuggling in last one week.
Mansuri had arrived from Air India’s flight AI-982 from Kuwait. “The gold bars were duly wrapped in aluminum foil in check in baggage. The smugglers sometimes use aluminum foil to escape x-ray scan, however Mansuri was caught,” said a Customs official.
“After customs stepped up vigilance in February, smugglers have devised new modus operandi to smuggle in gold. In last one week, three domestic passengers were held for smuggling. The smugglers thought that a domestic passenger is not going to be checked and hence gold can be smuggled in,” added Customs official.
This is the 18th such incident in 2015 of gold smuggling and 13th in last one month. Since January 2014, around 77.73 kg of gold, worth Rs 20.37 crore has been seized at the airport by customs and DRI and 82 smugglers have been detained. In last one week, three domestic passengers were held for smuggling 2.1kg gold worth Rs 55 lakh in three separate incidents. Earlier this month, AIU had recovered over 6 kg gold worth Rs 1.6 crore in two separate incidents.
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