CISF foils gold smuggling bid at Mumbai airport; gold paste worth Rs 1.83 crore recovered

CISF foiled a suspected gold smuggling attempt at Mumbai airport, arresting a Sri Lankan national and an airline staff member after recovering gold paste worth Rs 1.83 crore.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) thwarted a suspected gold smuggling attempt at Mumbai airport, apprehending a Sri Lankan national and an airline staff member after recovering gold paste worth approximately Rs 1.83 crore.

Acting on specific intelligence input, CISF personnel intercepted an international transit passenger on Wednesday after he allegedly handed over a packet containing three oval-shaped substances suspected to be gold paste to an airline staff member inside a lift near Boarding Gate No 65.

The CISF team apprehended both individuals and initiated further action in coordination with the concerned authorities.

Gold paste worth Rs 1.83 crore recovered

Both individuals were later handed over to Customs and the Airport Intelligence Unit (AIU) for further investigation.

The recovered gold paste weighed approximately 1,490 grams and comprised three pieces of 24-karat gold, with an estimated value of Rs 1.83 crore.

Customs and AIU officials produced both individuals before the competent court for further legal proceedings.

CISF seizes foreign currency at Kolkata airport

In a separate incident, CISF personnel thwarted a suspected attempt to smuggle foreign currency after seizing currency worth approximately Rs 1.14 crore from the hand baggage of two passengers at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

During security screening at the International Terminal Security Hold Area, an on-duty CISF screener noticed suspicious images in the X-ray scans of the hand baggage of two passengers scheduled to travel to Bangkok on Bhutan Airlines flight B3700.

During physical examination, CISF personnel recovered USD 119,900, equivalent to approximately Rs 11,364,002, concealed in the false bottoms of the two bags. The currency was wrapped in newspaper.

Of the total amount, USD 74,900 was recovered from one passenger’s hand baggage, while USD 45,000 was recovered from the other passenger’s bag.

Following prescribed formalities, both passengers and the recovered foreign currency were handed over to the Air Intelligence Unit of Customs for further action.

On October 20, the passenger from whose baggage USD 74,900 was recovered was produced before the District and Sessions Court by AIU and Customs officials. The other passenger was released by Customs after a detention receipt was issued for the USD 45,000 recovered from the baggage, CISF said.

Similar seizure at Amritsar airport

In another incident on August 4, CISF personnel foiled an alleged attempt to smuggle foreign currency at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport after discovering USD 31,500, worth approximately Rs 30 lakh, concealed in the undergarments of a departing passenger during security screening.

As the passenger failed to produce valid documents to justify possession and transportation of the currency, CISF personnel handed him over to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence along with the recovered cash for further investigation and legal action, the force said.

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