AIU officials intercepted 45-yr-old with undeclared gold bars worth Rs 50 lakh after he arrived from Dubai; suspect he is part of a smuggling syndicate
A 45-year-old man who arrived in Mumbai from Dubai yesterday was caught hiding gold bars, collectively weighing 2 kg, in his knee supports at the Sahar international airport. On Friday morning, Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officials arrested the Kerala-based accused, who is suspected to be associated with a gold smuggling gang.
According to AIU officials, accused Rafique Pillaphottali landed in Mumbai around 4 am from Dubai. He was walking through the green channel without having declared any goods. He also did not have any luggage, other than a small handbag. Customs officials said they smelled a rat looking at his body language. They intercepted him for interrogation. After frisking him, officials found that he was hiding gold bars in his knee braces. He was also carrying $5,500 in the back pocket of his pants. The value of the seized gold is around Rs 50 lakh in the international market.
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During interrogation, he failed to give satisfactory answers to the officials, who arrested him under several sections of the Custom Act. Pillaphottali is a native of Kolikode in Kerala. AIU officials said he is jobless, but he makes more than three visits to Dubai in a month. Since January he has visited that city 10 times. Officials suspect he is associated with a gold smuggling syndicate. “Further investigations are under way. We are investigating all possible angles,” said Sameer Wankhede, deputy commissioner of customs (AIU).
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