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Two, including Dubai passenger, arrested for smuggling gold
Joint commissioner of Amritsar customs, Balbir Singh Mangat, said, the passenger from Dubai and one of the operators have been arrested for gold smuggling and sent to 14 days judicial custody
: Custom officials have busted a gold smuggling racket with the arrest of two persons, including a passenger from Dubai, at the international airport here and recovered 1 kg of gold from them.
The other person arrested is an operator of an aerobridge at the airport. Another aerobridge operator, in possession of 500 gms of gold bar, has managed to flee.
Joint commissioner of Amritsar customs, Balbir Singh Mangat, said, the passenger and one of the operators have been arrested and sent to 14 days judicial custody.
“Efforts are on to apprehend the second operator. Further investigation is going on,” he added.
According to the information, a passenger, who arrived by Air India Express Flight No IX-192 from Dubai at the Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport here on Saturday was intercepted while exiting from green channel.
“During screening/search of baggage one gold bar weighing 587 grams was found concealed in the shoulder bag of the passenger. This gold bar with an estimated market value of ₹ 31 lakh was seized,” said a spokesperson of Amritsar Customs.
On questioning, the passenger admitted that he was carrying 2 gold bars weighing 1 kg, out of which 1 was handed over to the ground staff who was standing on the aerobridge. On checking the CCTV footage, the operator of the aerobridge was identified, the spokesperson said.
The aerobridge operator at the airport is employed with the company who had the contract for aerobridge operations and was found in possession of one gold bar. He admitted that he had smuggled gold on previous occasions, including last one month, the official said.
He further admitted that he was handing over the said smuggled gold to another staff member who also works as aerobridge operator with the same company, the official said.
