Customs department seize ₹4.75 cr gold from foreign nationals in two days

Mumbai: The Customs department carried out eight raids at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in the last two days and seized 9

Mumbai: The Customs department carried out eight raids at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in the last two days and seized 9.5 kg of gold valued at ₹4.75 crore and arrested father and son from Azerbaijan.

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The Customs official said the Azerbaijan nationals arrived from Dubai carrying 6,000 grams (six kilograms) of gold valued at ₹2.99 crore concealed in their bag. They were arrested at the Mumbai airport on Saturday and were produced in court on Sunday.

The arrested accused were identified as Michaelo Faig, 65, Michaelo Hussain, 32. As per the specific information, both were arrested as soon as they arrived at the airport. During the check, the agency found 6 kilograms of gold in their bag.

Recently, 11 Sudanese women, who arrived from Sharjah to Mumbai, were caught smuggling and 8.3 kg of gold worth ₹4,14 crore was recovered from their vaginal cavities at the airport. This is the first time in recent years that Customs officials have caught 11 foreign nationals together and seized smuggled gold. The 11 women, their ages ranging from 30s to 50s, had arrived in Mumbai on Friday via Air Arabia flight G9-405 in the morning. Based on inputs, the 11 passengers were detained and examined.

Customs sources said that a total of 31 capsules were recovered from the detained foreigners, who concealed the smuggled gold in capsule form in their vaginal cavities. The gold was in the wax form and was packed in capsule-shaped body packing with tapes, the source added. “Surprisingly, they all were travelling in one flight but didn’t know that other individuals were also carrying smuggled gold. They all were lured with lucrative commissions and were targeted individually,” said the official.

The officials have not arrested all of them as the individual seizure of smuggled gold did not exceed the ₹1 crore limit, which is generally a criterion to effect an arrest for gold smuggling. Only one Sudanese woman was arrested as the biggest quantity of smuggled gold was seized from her possession. She was subsequently released on bail.