Builder held at airport with valuables worth Rs9.5 lakh

A city-based developer was arrested with gold jewellery, Rado watches and American currency collectively worth Rs9.5 lakh by the Mumbai airport customs department.

A city-based developer was arrested with gold jewellery, Rado watches and American currency collectively worth Rs9.5 lakh by the Mumbai airport customs department.

HT Image

Sajid Sayyed, who has development projects in Mira Road and Bhayandar areas, returned from Singapore on Friday night and started walking through the green channel at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport without declaring the valuables, an official said.

A team of customs officials, headed by deputy commissioner Sameer Wankhede, stopped Sayyed and checked his baggage. They found gold jewellery that included necklace and bangles, two Rado watches and $5,000 (Rs2.25 lakh).

A senior customs official said Sayyed had gone to China a few days ago to set up an industrial plant and had stopped at Singapore while on his way back.

When questioned, Sayyed claimed innocence saying that he was very stressed due to personal reasons and hence had forgotten to declare the goods. “He told us that he had always followed the rules and declared any goods that he was carrying while returning from foreign countries,” a customs official said.

Sayyed was produced before a metropolitan magistrate’s court on Saturday, which released him on bail.

Sayyed’s lawyer Ravi Hirani said the customs department had only detained actor Minissha Lamba who was carrying jewellery worth Rs31 lakh, but they arrested his client for carrying valuables which were worth less than that amount.