Customs detect 3 cases of smuggling gold, tobacco at airport

Mumbai Customs today detected three cases of smuggling of tobacco and gold at international airport here and arrested one person.
In the first case, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs intercepted two passengers, identified as Vijay Rupapara and Manish Khambani, who were to fly to Lubumbashi via Addis Ababa.
"The passengers were attempting to export 5869 pouches and 900 tins of tobacco products, 185.5 kgs of cut betel nuts, 11 pieces of mobile phones and 2 pieces of phone tablets collectively valued at Rs 5.12 lakh," an official said, adding the articles were stuffed in 17 checked-in bags and 4 hand bags of the passengers.

In another case, a flyer who landed here from Abu Dhabi was arrested.
"Faisal Chalil was attempting surreptitious removal of gold collectively weighing 1379 grams valued at Rs 37.35 lakh," the official said, adding the gold was concealed in the copper winding of mixer/ grinder, which was recovered and seized.
Chalil told the officials gold belonged to a resident of Deira in Dubai.

In third incident, Abdussaleem Pallickal, who arrived from Dubai, was intercepted and 13 gold bars weighing 10 tolas each and 2 cut pieces if gold bars, collectively weighing 1624 gms were recovered from him and his checked-in baggage. They are collectively valued at Rs. 43.98 lakh.

"The passenger had ingeniously concealed the said gold bars in a space between coils of transformer of electric microwave oven," the official said.
He said Pallickal has given a statement saying the oven containing gold bars was given to him by one Zulfikar in Dubai and that he was supposed to hand it over to another person in Mumbai.
During last 2 days, the Mumbai AIU has seized 8.260 kg gold valued at Rs 2.29 crore, in separate instances and registered six cases.