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Gold, foreign currency worth Rs 3.96 crore seized from Dubai-Pune flights
The information states that a total of 14 cases were reported and five persons were arrested by the customs’ department during the period
The customs department, Pune zone, has seized gold and foreign currency worth Rs 3.96 crore smuggled into the city via Pune’s Lohegaon airport, officials said. The international flights that Pune airport receives is only from Dubai.
The data received from customs’ department Pune zone officials states that in 2019-20 (up to February), gold weighing 9.25 kg valued up to Rs 3.22 crore and foreign currency worth Rs 73.65 lakh were seized.
The information states that a total of 14 cases were reported and five persons were arrested by the customs’ department during the period.
In 2019-20, gold weighing 9.25 kg was seized in 11 cases and foreign currency, mostly from Middle Eastern countries, including Kuwaiti dinar 1,800, UAE dirham 27,800, Bahrain dinar 540, Omani riyal 16,100 and Saudi riyal 1,98,000 which amounts to Rs 73.65 lakh was seized in three cases.
A senior official from customs said, “Pune airport gets international flights only from Dubai and gold is the most profitable item which can be smuggled in small quantities. Most of the smugglers, almost 90 per cent, are based in Mumbai and prefer to travel to Pune since the flight rates of Dubai to Pune are cheaper than Dubai to Mumbai.”
The official said that as smugglers keep changing their modus operandi, the department also regularly strengthens its detection process.
“Nowadays, we have observed that gold is smuggled in paste form,” he said.
Vaishali Patange, joint commissioner, customs department Pune zone, said, “We need to be aware of the latest and novel methods followed by smugglers to foil their attempts and detect the crime.”
