Mumbai Airport Customs Arrests Staffer for Alleged Gold Smuggling

Mumbai Airport Customs arrested a 37-year-old contractual staffer on Monday for allegedly trying to smuggle gold valued at Rs 2.66 crore. The gold was handed over to him by a transit passenger. The alleged smuggler, S.A. Siddique, was intercepted by customs officers on suspicion and subsequently found to be concealing six oval-shaped pieces of gold dust in his underwear. A government-approved valuer certified the gold, weighing 3000 grams, with a provisional value of Rs 2.66 crore.

Key Takeaways:

• The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Airport Customs arrested a 37-year-old contractual staffer, S.A. Siddique, for allegedly trying to smuggle gold valued at Rs 2.66 crore.
• The gold was handed over to Siddique by a transit passenger in a washroom at the Departure Area of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
• Siddique admitted to having possession, concealment, carriage, non-declaration, and recovery of seized gold, and also stated that he was involved in smuggling gold for monetary consideration.
• Siddique was arrested on Monday and is currently being probed by the Customs as part of their investigation into the transit passenger and the receiver of the consignment.
• In two separate cases on Saturday, the AIU Customs seized 5.75 kilograms of gold valued at Rs 5.10 crore from two contractual workers at the airport.

Statistics:

• The seized gold weighs 3000 grams and is provisionally valued at Rs 2.66 crore.
• The gold was concealed in six oval-shaped pieces, which were found in the underwear of the accused, S.A. Siddique.
• The AIU Customs seized 5.75 kilograms of gold in two separate cases on Saturday, valued at Rs 5.10 crore.
• The cumulative value of the seized gold is Rs 7.76 crore.

Sources:

• Indian National Press (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd.