AIU seizes gold worth Rs69 lakh from Mumbai airport, aircraft washrooms

Authorities suspected other people were involved including airport staff

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the customs department on Friday detected two cases of gold smuggling, in which the accused hid the precious metal worth Rs69 lakh in toilets.

The gold bars the AIU seized. (HT)

In the first case, Mohammedali Kekepuram Mohammed, 41, an executive in a Dubai firm, was arrested for smuggling gold from Dubai. After AIU officials found him moving suspiciously, they followed him to a washroom near the immigration counter. When he left the toilet, the officials intercepted and questioned him.

“We then decided to check the washroom. The gold was hidden in a wall cavity, which was created behind the flush,” said a high-ranking customs officer. The washroom shares the wall with a room used by the plumbing staff and is usually locked. AIU recovered two packets of gold that Mohammed had thrown into the room through the cavity. The 10 gold bars were worth Rs34.37 lakh.

Authorities suspected other people were involved including airport staff. “We are trying to find the person who was supposed to pick the gold from the plumbers’ room,” said the officer.

In the past, loaders, cleaners, trolley-handlers and staff from other agencies working at the airport have been arrested for smuggling.