Two held for smuggling 400 memory cards from Mumbai airport

Two men on Thursday were arrested by the custom officers at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport for trying to smuggle 44, 400 memory cards from Hong Kong. The incident took place at midnight when the duo landed in a Jet Airways flight.

 

The duo has been identified as Imran Abdul, 29 and Shakeeb Ghulam, 25. They were caught by the team of Air Intelligence Unit while they were going through the green channel.

 

 The accused had hidden the memory cards in the washroom at the airport after they came to know that the custom officers were waiting for them. The custom officers recovered memory card after detaining Ghulam and Abdul.

 

"The accused are regular carriers and it was their modus operandi to leave the baggage in the washroom so they can clear the green channel without any hindrance," said Additional Commissioner of Customs, Mahendra Pal.

 

Later, officers came to know that it was their modus operandi as they used to leave the baggage in the washroom and other person used to collect it from there. During the questioning, the custom officers were shocked when they found out that person attached to their own department can be involved in the matter.

 

Allegedly, the third person who was supposed to collect baggage from the washroom is a driver working with the custom department who has a pass to enter airport premises. "Our investigations are on to find out if the driver is involved in the case or not. He has not been arrested yet but the other two have been arrested who will be produced in the court on Friday," said a custom officer from the airport.