Staffer Held for Stealing Gold from Airport Premises

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Mumbai customs department officials have arrested a member of the airport staff for allegedly helping smuggle gold out of the airport premises.

A total of 3.8 kg of gold worth Rs 2.13 crore was seized from the accused staff member’s possession. The accused smuggled gold out of airport premises ten times in the last 15 days, a customs department probe revealed.

Akshay Kule, who works at the airport, on Monday was detained by the customs department. He was found carrying a black bag. A total of 33 gold bars were recovered, concealed in packets, after Kule and his bag were searched.

An interrogation revealed that the accused was actively involved in the gold smuggling racket. He would be given details by passengers who were smuggling gold into India. He was assigned the task of opening the checked in bags of those specific international passengers in the airport baggage inline area, take out the gold packets, and later walk out of the airport with the gold, a customs source said.

Virar resident Kule was getting a hefty commission for his role in the racket. He was booked under relevant sections of the Customs Act and is in judicial custody. Investigators were scanning information of his phone calls and determining details of his associates.

 Courtesy: www.indianexpress.com