Massive gold hunt at Mumbai Airport; Customs seize 8.6 kg gold in a single night

MUMBAI (Scrap Monster): The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of India Customs seized 8.6 kilograms of smuggled gold at Mumbai International Airport- the biggest ever gold haul in a single night. The gold worth Rs 2.26 crores was seized from four different passengers who landed at the airport in different flights. The AIU officials suspect role of insiders in the smuggling act.

In the first seizure, AIU officials intercepted a passenger while trying to leave his baggage near the baggage service counter. Upon observing the passenger, the officials caught hold of the passenger. The baggage contained 50 gold bars weighing 5.83 kilograms of gold worth nearly Rs 1.54 crores. According to AIU officials, the bag was supposed to be collected and cleared by some airport staffer inside the terminal. The passenger had arrived from Dubai.

In the second incident, a passenger who came from Bangkok was detained for carrying nearly 625 grams of gold worth Rs 16.46 lakhs. The passenger was trying to smuggle gold in the form of waist belt buckle and wristwatch base.

Thirdly, officials seized nearly 1.2 kilograms of gold from a Sri Lankan national who had arrived from Dubai. The gold worth Rs 31.75 lakh was found hidden inside undergarment in the form of kadas, chain, gold bars and coins.

Finally, 8 gold bars were nabbed from another passenger who came from Sharjah. The gold weighing nearly 932 grams was recovered from inside of a music system. The seized gold was worth Rs 24.55 lakhs.

Top AIU officials stated that all the four passengers were detained for further questioning. The involvement of airport staff is also being investigated.