According to officials on Thursday, the customs division at the airport in Mumbai detained an Indian national who was carrying 16 kg of gold worth Rs. 8.40 crore.
The man was travelling to Mumbai from Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.
Mumbai customs had previously detained seven people in total and seized 15 kg of gold worth Rs 7.87 crore in four cases and foreign currency worth Rs 22 lakh in two separate cases on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the customs official.
In the first instance, security personnel at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) used intelligence to track down and apprehend an Indian national who had boarded Emirates flight EK 500 from Dubai carrying 9.895 kg of gold worth Rs. 5.20 crore.
A unique chest belt with nine pockets that was discovered wrapped around the chest and shoulder held the gold. The Indian national disclosed that two Sudanese travellers gave him the gold in Dubai. Also stopped and apprehended was the passenger from Sudan.
All three passengers were detained and held in judicial custody for 14 days after their arrests.
In the second instance, an Indian national who had boarded Indigo flight 6E 6149 from Chennai to Mumbai was found in possession of gold in dust form weighing 1.875 kg and valued at Rs. 99.75 lakh (earlier landed from Sharjah). Undergarments were hiding gold dust packets. The traveller was detained.
In the third case, two Indian passengers who had taken a flight from Jeddah on Saudia SV 772 were found in possession of gold in dust form weighing 1068 grammes and 1185 grammes, valued at Rs. 56,81,760 and Rs. 58,78,600, respectively. Packets of gold dust were discovered concealed in clothing. Both passengers were taken into custody.
In the fourth instance, a Sudanese national who had arrived on Emirates flight EK-504 from Dubai was found to be in possession of gold dust in wax weighing 973 grammes and valued at Rs 51,17,980. The passengers discovered gold dust concealed in the rectum in the form of egg-shaped wax. The traveller was detained.
