Investigations point to a smuggling syndicate that used international passengers to hide gold in the aircraft on arrival, which was later retrieved by the contractual staff with insider access, an official said
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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested two contractual staffers of Air India Airport Service Limited (AIASL) for allegedly trying to smuggle foreign-origin gold valued at Rs 1.6 crore, officials said on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.
Investigations point to a smuggling syndicate that used international passengers to hide gold in the aircraft on arrival, which was later retrieved by the contractual staff with insider access, an official said, reported PTI.
The two accused, employees of Air India Airport Service Limited, were apprehended on Saturday, the official said.
The DRI had specific information that foreign-origin gold was being smuggled through the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai by concealing it within the aircraft and retrieving it through insider airport staff, reported PTI.
Accordingly, a discreet surveillance was mounted at the airport.
A team leader of the contractual staff was seen hurriedly placing a packet on the aerobridge staircase upon noticing the DRI sleuths, the official said.
The packet was later recovered and found to contain gold dust in wax form, concealed under a white cloth, he said.
The contractual staff member was immediately apprehended and, during interrogation, he admitted to hiding the packet to avoid detection, the official said.
He further told officials that his supervisor had retrieved the gold from an aircraft and handed it to him. Based on his statement, the supervisor was also arrested, the official said, reported PTI.
In total, 1.2 kg of gold dust of 24-karat purity, valued at around Rs 1.6 crore, was seized under the Customs Act, he added.
Gutka, banned tobacco products valued at Rs 87 lakh seized in Thane district
In another case, the police in Maharashtra's Thane district have recovered gutka and banned tobacco products valued at Rs 87 lakh from a vehicle, an official said on Saturday, reported PTI.
Acting on inputs about gutka and other contrabands being smuggled from Gujarat, a local crime branch intercepted a tempo on the Gandhar Bridge on the Kalyan-Padgha road early Friday morning, he said, reported PTI.
However, the tempo driver tried to escape, prompting the team, led by senior inspector Ajit Shinde, to chase it. The cops managed to stop the vehicle after some distance, reported PTI.
The police subsequently recovered gutka and banned tobacco products, worth about Rs 87 lakh, from the tempo and arrested the driver, the official said.
A case has been registered at the Khadakpada police station under the Food and Drug Administration Act, he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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