Saudi Arabian airline staffer caught smuggling 2-kg gold at Mumbai airport

The gold bars were confiscated under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, while the statement of the accused was recorded under Section 108 of the Customs Act...

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Mumbai Customs intercepted a Saudi Arabian national and confiscated gold bars from his possession on Thursday night.

The officials seized the gold bars worth Rs63.71 lakh from black pouches the accused had hidden in the pockets of the jeans he was wearing.

“In his statement, Goya Ahmad Siraj A confessed that of the gold bars weighing 2.1 kg, 100 grams belonged to his cousin Fahild Ali, a Saudi Arabian national, while the rest was his. He also told us that he is employed by Saudi Arabian airline as ground service staff,” said an AIU official.

Goya had flown in from Jeddah. The officials seized the gold bars worth Rs63.71 lakh from black pouches he had hidden in the pockets of the jeans he was wearing. The gold bars were confiscated under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, while Goya’s statement was recorded under Section 108 of the Customs Act.

He admitted to having knowledge, possession, carriage, concealment and recovery of the said gold bars which were being smuggled into India without payment of proper Customs duty and in contravention of provisions of the Customs Act.