Gold, electronic items, contraband worth Rs 1.79 cr seized at Mumbai airport

The Customs department has seized electronic items cosmetics cigarettes and crude gold cumulatively worth more than Rs 179 crore from passengers arriving at Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport from Dubai resulting in the arrest of one person an official said on Sunday reported PTIThe operation was conducted by the Airport Commissionerate of Customs between May 1 and 2 he addedTwo separate cases were registered against two passengers based on spot profiling They had arrived by Emirates flight with smuggled items like electronic items cosmetic goods cigarette valued at Rs 8437 lakh In another case eight browntapewrapped packets were recovered from the commode of both rearend aircraft lavatories after detailed rummaging he said reported PTIHe said 695 grams of 24 karat crude gold worth Rs 9532 lakh was seized from one passenger who had arrived in a SpiceJet flight The man has been arrested the official added reported PTIThe seizures highlight ongoing vigilance against smuggling through passenger profiling at the Mumbai airport he saidMan held with Rs 86 lakh drugs in Navi MumbaiIn another case police have arrested a man after seizing mephedrone valued at Rs 86 lakh from his possession in Maharashtras Navi Mumbai township officials said on Sunday reported PTIWhile patrolling around 2 am on Saturday a police team spotted a suspicious individual near a housing complex in the Ulwe areaUpon checking the accused was found in possession of 344 grams of mephedrone MD valued at around Rs 86 lakh an Ulwe police official said reported PTIThe accused identified as local resident Ravi Khatik was arrested and booked under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances NDPS Act he said reported PTIDuring interrogation the accused told the police that two persons had handed over the contraband to him for sale the official said adding that a search was on for themMan arrested with Rs 254crore heroin in MumbaiMeanwhile police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 254 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai officials said on Friday reported PTIThe polices AntiNarcotics Cell ANC made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area they said reported PTIActing on specific inputs an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz East and intercepted a man During a search the team recovered 508 grams of highgrade heroin from his possession an official said reported PTIThe seized contraband a highly addictive opioid drug derived from morphine is estimated to be worth Rs 254 crore in the international market he informed reported PTIFollowing the seizure a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances NDPS Act 1985 and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of FridayThe police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment he saidWith inputs from PTI