19 January,2026 10:19 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
The total weight of the seized gold was 1,590 grams, valued at Rs 2.15 crore, Mumbai Customs said. Pic/Special Arrangement
Mumbai Customs on Monday said that the officers of Mumbai Customs Zone-III have seized gold worth Rs 2.15 crore and apprehended a Bangladeshi passenger during the night shift of January 17-18, 2026, at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport.
The interception was made based on specific profiling by customs officials.
According to Customs department, the accused passenger arrived from Dubai on January 17, 2026, and was scheduled to travel onward to Dhaka on January 18, 2026.
During transit at Mumbai airport, customs officers observed the passenger attempting to discreetly hand over suspicious packets to an airport staff member.
Upon interception, officials recovered four oval-shaped packets containing 24-carat gold dust concealed in wax.
"The total weight of the seized gold was 1,590 grams, valued at Rs 2.15 crore," Mumbai Customs said.
The packets were allegedly being transferred to a staff of airport services company, indicating an insider-assisted smuggling attempt.
Following the recovery, both the Bangladeshi national and the AIASL staff member were arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962.
Customs officials stated that further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the incident is part of a larger gold smuggling syndicate operating through international transit routes.
Officials emphasized that enhanced profiling, intelligence inputs, and strict surveillance at Mumbai's international airport have led to several such detections in recent months. Customs authorities reiterated their commitment to preventing smuggling activities and safeguarding the country's economic interests.
