Diamond worth over Rs 4 crore stolen from Mumbai airport

MUMBAI: Gold ornaments and polished diamonds worth over Rs four crore were allegedly stolen from a container, which landed from Thailand at the high security Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, police said on Saturday.

A container marked as containing 'precious metals' packed in two separate bags, weighing 3.5 kg landed at the CSIA by a Thai airways flight from Bangkok on Thursday night.

Later, officials from the Air India's (the local ground handler for goods arrived by Thai Airways) cargo wing discovered that one packet containing two bracelets, four pendants, 37 rings and 74 polished diamonds collectively worth Rs 4,54,87,941 were stolen from it, they said.

"The discovery was made at the dumping ground for containers. Once the aircraft lands, personnel from Air India have to call customs officials at the tarmac to check the precious goods and then the consignment has to be escorted safely to a strong room in the premises where it is to be kept," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Airport Division) Janardan Garje said.

The consignment seems to have landed on the tarmac in a sealed condition but was not kept at the usual spot where it has to be. Also, the customs officials were not called as per the procedure.

"One of the ground handlers saw the container lying on the tarmac unattended and obstructing traffic movement but carelessly ordered it to be shifted to the dumping ground where abandoned containers are kept without checking if its seal is intact," Garje said.

Garje said several loaders and staff from Air India and others suspected to be involved in the matter have been questioned.

"There are two processes involved in it and we need to question many more people. One process is that of the container being taken from the belly of the aircraft and kept at the tarmac. The second one is that of ordering the container to be taken to the dumping yard where abandoned or empty containers are kept," he added.

The distance between the place on the tarmac, Bay 53, where the goods were taken out of the aircraft and the dumping ground is 500 metres. The total weight of the stolen goods is only 3.5 kg which means that they can be sneaked out of the airport premises either through the normal channel or otherwise, he added.

"The personnel from Air India were knowing it in advance about the arrival of the goods," Garje said.     

When contacted, an official spokesperson of Air India said that all the ground handlers are employees of the airlines and the work has not been outsourced.

"We have filed police complaint at the Sahar Airport police station and they would co-operate fully in the investigations. Once the probe is complete, they should come and talk to us," he said.