The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Customs today arrested two persons, including an airport employee, for allegedly smuggling in gold worth Rs 47 lakh.
"We have arrested two persons, including an employee of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here, for smuggling in 18 gold bars collectively weighing two kilograms," a Customs official said.
According to the official, a passenger identified as Irfan Sheikh arrived from Dubai with the gold and handed it over to a cleaner Vicky Prajapati who was to take the yellow metal safely, for which he was supposed to get Rs 30,000.
Prajapati hid the gold in two dust bins at the airport toilet, the official said.
"However, Prajapati kept half the consignment with himself and informed the Customs about the rest of the gold found in dustbin," he said.
"Later, Sheikh came back to Prajapati and asked about his gold, the officers got to know about this and when the latter was questioned he admitted taking gold from Sheikh," the official said.
He said this was the 19th case this financial year in which an airport employee has been arrested in a gold smuggling case.
