Smuggling bid foiled: Customs seize 5.75 kgs of gold, two flyers arrested

Officials said the gold was allegedly handed over to Bharat by a transit passenger. Following a detailed interrogation, he reportedly confessed to his involvement. A formal seizure panchnama was conducted, and he was placed under arrest

Mumbai: The Customs Department seized 5.75 kilograms of smuggled gold worth approximately ₹5 crore in two separate operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Saturday. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the attempted smuggling.

Smuggling bid foiled: Customs seize 5.75 kgs of gold, two flyers arrested

According to officials, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) acted on specific intelligence and intercepted two men in separate incidents at the airport’s departure area.

In the first case, a man identified as Harshal Anil Bharat, a contractual worker employed in one of the airport lounges, was intercepted while attempting to cross the staff corridor. Upon searching him, AIU officials found six pouches concealed within his inner garments. These pouches contained gold dust in wax weighing approximately 2.8 kilograms, with an estimated value of ₹2.48 crore.

Officials said the gold was allegedly handed over to Bharat by a transit passenger. Following a detailed interrogation, he reportedly confessed to his involvement. A formal seizure panchnama was conducted, and he was placed under arrest.

A few hours later, in a second incident, AIU officials intercepted another individual, identified as Nitin Dashrath Ingle, at the staff exit point. A search of his jacket revealed six pouches in the pockets containing 2.95 kilograms of gold dust in wax, valued at ₹2.62 crore. Ingle also confessed that the gold was given to him by a transit passenger with instructions to deliver it later. He too was arrested after a panchnama was completed.

Both accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Customs Act and are currently in custody. Investigations are ongoing to identify other possible links in the smuggling network.