Gold Coin weighing 12.37 grams: East India Company, Bengal Presidency, Gold Mohur from Murshidabad Mint, bearing the name of Shah Alam II, AH 1202/RY 19
-1770891164204_d.png "Mumbai Customs seizes rare antique coins smuggled from London")
Customs officials recovered a collection of historically significant coins. PIC VIA SAMIULLAH KHAN
Officers of the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone–III uncovered a rare smuggling attempt involving antique coins arriving from London. The seizure took place during duty checks on a passenger who landed on Virgin Atlantic Airlines Flight VS-354 from London on 9 February.
Customs officials recovered a collection of historically significant coins, including:
Gold Coin weighing 12.37 grams: East India Company, Bengal Presidency, Gold Mohur from Murshidabad Mint, bearing the name of Shah Alam II, AH 1202/RY 19.
Gold Coin weighing 8.00 grams: Ancient Kushan Empire, Huvishka, Gold Dinar.
Silver Coin weighing 11.44 grams: Mughal era, Jahangir, Silver Rupee with Zodiac Sign Cancer, Ahmadabad Mint.
The operation highlights sophisticated smuggling methods targeting India’s antique numismatic heritage. The passenger is currently under investigation, and authorities are tracing the origin and intended destination of the coins.
This seizure marks one of the rare instances of historical coins being smuggled into the country, prompting increased vigilance at international airports.
Mumbai Customs seize US dollars, weed, gold and diamonds worth crores at airport; multiple passengers held
Earlier in January, Mumbai Customs said that officers of the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone-III made several significant seizures, including US dollars, weed, gold, and diamonds worth crores.
The operations were carried out between January 21 and January 29, 2026.
The actions were based on passenger profiling, intelligence inputs, and routine checks at Mumbai airport, officials said.
Customs officials registered four cases involving hydroponic weed.
“Two of these cases were identified through spot checks and APIS profiling, while the other two were based on specific intelligence,” officials said.
Weed seizure cases
According to Mumbai Customs, in the first two cases, 10.561 kg of suspected hydroponic weed was recovered from two passengers arriving from Bangkok.
In the second set of cases, 15.961 kg of suspected hydroponic weed was recovered from two other passengers, also arriving from Bangkok.
The total value of the seized narcotics in the illicit market is estimated at around Rs 26.522 crore. All four passengers have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The suspects attempted to conceal the contraband inside their trolley bags.
Gold smuggling cases
Customs officers also intercepted five gold smuggling cases, recovering a total of 3,632 grams of 24-karat gold, valued at around Rs 4.99 crore.
On January 27, 2026, 1,470 grams of gold, worth approximately Rs 2.1 crore, were seized in a case involving a Bangladeshi transit passenger and an airport staff member.
The gold was handed over to a staff member of Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited (HRPL) at Mumbai airport by the transit passenger. Both individuals were arrested.
“The gold was concealed inside the body cavity,” an official said.
In four other cases, 2,162 grams of gold were seized from four passengers.
Diamond smuggling case
In a separate case, Mumbai Customs officials seized 10,660 carats (2,132 grams) of diamonds, valued at Rs 1.81 crore, from a single passenger.
The diamonds were concealed inside the passenger’s check-in baggage.
Currency seizures
Mumbai Customs officers also booked three cases involving foreign currency, recovering a total equivalent of Rs 1.18 crore from four passengers. The currency was hidden in both check-in and hand baggage, officials said.
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