Two held at Mumbai airport for smuggling gold hooks worth Rs1.14 crore

The gold was smuggled in as clothes’ hooks which were coated with silver to evade detection.

The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) arrested two persons on Friday for smuggling gold worth Rs1.14 crore to India from Dubai. The gold was smuggled in as clothes’ hooks which were coated with silver to evade detection.

The officials realised that the hooks were made up of gold and was plated with silver as a camouflage. (HT file photo)

The arrests were made after the DRI officials stopped a consignment in the unaccompanied baggage section of the air cargo complex in Sahar. The baggage had been cleared by the customs.

On further examination, the officials found that the consignment contained trousers but its hooks seemed heavier than usual. The officials realised that the hooks were made up of gold and was plated with silver as a camouflage.

The officials seized 364 pieces of silver coloured metallic pieces weighing 4.2 kilogram from 91 trousers.

“The consignment consisted of 10 cartons that were labelled as old clothes worth Rs13,000 imported by a Usha Mudaliar. She was to deliver the consignment to one Durriya Ismail Soni and Yusuf Azgar Lokhandwala. We have arrested Soni and Lokhandwala in the offence,” said a DRI official.

Mudaliar, a resident of Mulund, had arrived in the city from Dubai a few days ago. Officials found that Lokhandwala and Soni smuggled gold into the country in similar ways.

In her statement to the DRI, Mudaliar told officials that she had met the accused a few days ago and had given Soni her passport in exchange for some money. She also denied having imported anything through unaccompanied baggage.

“Soni and Lokhandwala have admitted to the offence. Lokhandwala has also said that he has smuggled in gold several times by the same process,” said a DRI official.