Spurt in gold smuggling at Mumbai airport

The new year has brought with it a spurt in gold smuggling at Mumbai international airport, with seizures worth over Rs2.10 crore being made in the past two days.

In the first case, which was registered on Monday, a passenger identified as Huzaifa Ismail Patanwala was intercepted after he cleared himself through the green channel at customs. Four gold bars weighing 466g in all and valued at Rs11.5 lakh were seized from him. In a similar case on Monday, one Irfan Mohammed Ismail, a British passport-holder, was intercepted after he cleared himself through the green channel. Thirteen gold bars weighing 3.12kg, valued over Rs78 lakh, were seized from him. He had arrived from Hong Kong.

Air Intelligence Unit officials said on Tuesday, one Tauseef Qureshi was held with around 100g of gold worth about Rs50 lakh. "He was intercepted as he dropped it in the toilet dustbin," said additional commissioner (airport customs), AIU, Milind Lanjewar.

In another case on the same day, a passenger, Abbas Abdullah, who arrived from Sharjah, was held with two passports. Gold worth over Rs17.50 lakh was found on him. He is being questioned by Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials who want to know why he has two passports.

In yet another case, gold worth around Rs51 lakh was found concealed in a coal-fired iron. It was in the possession of Mohammed Hilmy, a Sri Lankan who had arrived from Mauritius, officials said.