Air Intelligence Unit keeps an eye on smuggling in appliances at Mumbai airport

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai international airport have been keeping a close eye on appliances that passengers carry because two cases have been reported since Wednesday where the fliers have tried to smuggle them.

AIU said that smugglers were sneaking in gold by concealing them in appliances such as vacuum cleaners, juicers and trolley bags. On Thursday night, AIU intercepted one Thayyil Majeed, holding an Indian passport, who had arrived from Dubai.

“The passenger had concealed gold weighing 1.235kg in a vacuum cleaner in his checked-in-baggage,” said an AIU officer, adding that he had admitted that the seized gold belongs to one Mohammed Ali and he had carried it into India for a profit of Rs15,000.

Similarly, AIU arrested one lady passenger — Nayeem Banu — holding an Indian passport, who had arrived from Dubai. “She was found with white gold strips weighing 1kg, valued at Rs30 lakh, which were cleverly concealed in the handles and inner metal frame of the trolley bag. She has admitted that the said gold belongs to one Arif Ahmed who lives in Dubai. “We detected five cases around 10 days back, in which gold was smuggled into appliances. There was a drop for a few days but it has again picked up. Multiple gangs operate in this while some are operated by persons in Kerala and Dubai,” said the officer.

AIU stated that smugglers are resorting to deep concealment methods in anticipation that officials will not catch them. “It becomes time consuming as we break open the appliances on suspicion,” said the officer.

Cash smuggling

AIU officers intercepted a passenger, Muhammed Jalal Mullakoyathangal, holding Indian passport who was to depart to Sharjah. Examination of his hand baggage resulted in recovery of undeclared 71 notes of Canadian dollars of denomination of 100 each and 88 notes of Pound Sterling of denomination 50 each, totally amounting to Rs7.22 lakh The said foreign currency was cleverly concealed inside the layers of clothes in his hand baggage. Similarly, AIU officers intercepted one passenger namely Nitin Trilokchand Kothari holding Indian passport who was to depart to Bangkok carrying 13600 US dollars equivalent to Rs9.16 lakh.

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First Published: Feb 04, 2017 01:27 IST