3 held at airport for smuggling ₹1.5-crore foreign currencies to Dubai

Officials found a total of 57900 Euro and 442300 Dirhams valued at ₹1,46,55, 235 crore in Indian currency from their bags.

Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested three persons for allegedly smuggling ₹1.46-crore foreign currencies to Dubai on Sunday at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA).

3 held at airport for smuggling ₹1.5-crore foreign currencies to Dubai

The accused – identified as Vikramjeet, Amit Kumar, and Bhim Singh – were flying to Dubai on flight Indigo 6E 1511 scheduled to take off at 2:35am. Based on the information, the accused were intercepted at the customs counter around 1:15am. They were found to carry a total of three trolley bags in the check-in baggage.

While searching, officials found a total of 57900 Euro and 442300 Dirhams valued at ₹1,46,55, 235 crore in Indian currency from their bags. During the investigation, DRI officials learnt that the accused were offered ₹10,000 each to carry one trolley bag along with them from their mastermind known as RK alias RAKA.

“The accused were aware that carrying foreign currencies of such high value beyond the prescribed limit is a punishable offence under the provisions of the customs act,” said a DRI official to the court.

“The arrested accused are the key link of the syndicate and are the main coordinator between the persons smuggling foreign currencies from India. The other suspects involved in the smuggling are at large and the agency has been looking for them,” the official informed the court.

The accused were arrested under the charges of relevant sections of the customs acts and were produced in court on Sunday.