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  Man tries to smuggle 24 gold bars, intercepted

Man tries to smuggle 24 gold bars, intercepted

Published : Feb 11, 2016, 2:17 am IST
Updated : Feb 11, 2016, 2:17 am IST

Four persons were arrested by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs at the Mumbai international airport on Wednesday for trying to smuggle 24 gold bars weighing 2,784 gm.

Four persons were arrested by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs at the Mumbai international airport on Wednesday for trying to smuggle 24 gold bars weighing 2,784 gm. The gold has been valued at Rs 73.93 lakh. Three more persons, including two women working at the airport, were also arrested.

According to sources from AIU, the officials had first nabbed one international passenger who then led them to one of his helpers, who was waiting for him outside the airport terminal building. Later the interrogation of the duo revealed that two employees of the Live Well ground staff were entrusted with collecting the gold from the passenger in the toilet of the arrival hall. After this, the officials arrested the two employees also.

Principal commissioner of AIU told The Asian Age, “All the four individuals have been arrested. Further investigation in the case is on.”

A top official from AIU said the gold was recovered during a personal search of one Shaikh Mohammed Ajmal, who had arrived from Dubai in a Jet Airways flight Tuesday night. He was intercepted after clearance at the green channel. The 24 gold bars recovered weighed approximately 10 tolas each.

An official said there was a special system that stores a database and keeps records of all passengers and their route. When a passenger travels on a single route frequently, it is highlighted. With this APIS system, officials had come to know about Ajmal and intercepted him.

Ajmal told the officials that one Raghib Shaikh was waiting outside to receive him. Shaikh was then caught and was brought in. AIU officials then conducted an analysis of their phones to trace the origin of the gold and details of two Live Well ground staffers named Kianat Khan and Kiran Yadav.

During questioning, Ajmal and Shaikh admitted Khan and Yadav were supposed to collect the gold from Ajmal in the arrival hall toilet before the green channel, an AIU official said.

Principal commissioner A.P.S. Suri said, “Phone call details corroborated contact between passenger and the ground staff.”

Khan and Yadav were called from their houses to the airport and after sustained interrogation, both of them admitted that they were to collect the gold Wednesday itself but backed out in fear after Ajmal had been intercepted.

According to sources from the Mumbai airport, this is the second time this year that an insider was found to be involved in smuggling. In 2014 and 2015 as many as 20 insiders were caught for their alleged involvement in smuggling.

Earlier on February 4, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) caught an airline crew at Mumbai airport for carrying USD 3,90,000 which is worth Rs 2,63,52,300.