Gold, foreign currency worth nearly Rs 1 crore seized at Mumbai Airport

Mumbai (Mahrashtra) [India], May 21 (ANI): The officers at Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai, Zone-III, made a seizure of GOLD weighing 0.247 Kg valued at Rs. 21.96 Lakh during the night duty of 20/21 May, 2025. These seizures were made across two cases and foreign currency equivalent to Rs 76.23 Lakh was recovered in one case. One passenger was also arrested under the the Customs Act, 1962, said a release from the Ministry of Finance.
According to the release, based on profiling, the customs officers intercepted two passengers arriving from Bahrain and Daman and recovered 24 KT Gold Bar having a net weight of 247 Grams, valued at Rs. 21.96 Lakh on May 21, 2025, early morning. The said gold was concealed under the luggage trolley advertisement sticker.
On the basis of profiling, the Customs officers also intercepted a passenger departing from Mumbai to Bangkok and recovered Foreign Currency i.e. USD 90,000 equivalent to Indian Rs. 76.23 Lakh on the same day. The said currency was concealed in the handbag carried by the passenger. One passenger was arrested in this case.
Meanwhile, Custom officers at Chhatrapati Shivaji MaharaInternational Airport Commissionerate, ZONE-III Mumbai siezed a total of 5.75Kg Gold valued at Rs. 5.10 Crore in two cases of smuggling, accoring to a statement.
Two people involved in the smuggling of gold were also arrested in these two cases.
According to the statement, in the first case, one individual working in a lounge was intercepted when he was crossing staff the departure area and recovered 06 pouches containing "Gold Dust in Wax" having net weight of 2800 Grams (Gross weight 2947 gms) valued at Rs. 2.48 Crore from his inner clothes apparently handed over to him by a transit passenger. The person has been arrested.
In the other case, "one person working on contractual basis was intercepted when he was crossing staff exit point at the departure area and recovered 06 pouches containing "Gold Dust in Wax" having net weight of 2950 Grams (Gross weight 3073 gms) valued at Rs. 2.62 Crore from the pocket of his jacket worn by him. The above gold was apparently handed over to him by a transit passenger. The person has been arrested," the statement said.
On Saturday, Acting on specific intelligence, officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Mumbai intercepted a male passenger, a Chadian national, who arrived from Addis Ababa on Friday, May 16, 2025, said officials.
During a personal search, officials discovered foreign-origin gold bars cleverly concealed within the heels of his slippers. The total weight of the seized gold was 4015 grams, valued at approximately Rs 3.86 crore.
In his voluntary statement, the passenger admitted to hiding the gold to evade Customs detection. The DRI seized the smuggled gold and arrested the individual under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, said officials. Further investigations are underway. (ANI)