Customs officials at Mumbai airport have been busy in the last four days, seizing a total of 12.74 kg of smuggled gold valued at Rs 8.17 crore. This recent crackdown has uncovered various ingenious methods used by air passengers to smuggle gold into the country, including concealing it as gold dust in wax, gold-layered clothes, crude jewelry, gold bars inside water bottles, in the rectum, and on their bodies.
Arrests Made Due to High Value of Smuggled Gold
Notably, in cases where the amount of seized foreign-origin smuggled gold exceeded Rs 1 crore, Customs officials took action and arrested six passengers between April 29 and May 2.
One of the accused was identified as an Indian national working as a contractual staff at the airport. He was caught by the CISF and found to have concealed 24 carat gold dust in wax form (totaling 2,580 grams) inside his water bottle. The passenger he was assisting was also arrested in connection with the smuggling attempt.
In another incident, four Indian nationals traveling from Dubai were intercepted and discovered to be carrying 3,335 grams of gold hidden inside their undergarments, clothes, and even in their rectum. All four individuals were taken into custody.
Diverse Smuggling Methods Uncovered
An officer mentioned that on Air India flight AI-910, six gold bars weighing 1,500 grams were recovered from pipes beneath the seat, showcasing the variety of tactics utilized by smugglers.
Furthermore, Customs officials intercepted a group of 15 Indian nationals arriving from different countries, including Dubai, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Jeddah, who were collectively carrying 5,323 grams of gold. The precious metal was cleverly concealed in various ways, such as in their undergarments, jeans pockets, airport baggage trolley, on their bodies, and even in their rectum.
In a separate case, an Indian national arriving from Dubai was caught attempting to smuggle nine iPhones and other electronic goods valued at Rs 14.21 lakh, concealed inside handbags and checked-in luggage.
