By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai: January 25
The custom officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, seized USD 90,000 (Rs 81 lakh) in currency notes, from two foreign passengers who had hidden them inside a book, officials stated on Tuesday.
“On 22-23 Jan Mumbai Airport Customs intercepted two foreign nationals in two separate cases and seized 90,000 USD concealed in pages of books and over 2.5 Kg Gold in paste form concealed in undergarment respectively. Both the passengers have been arrested”, Mumbai Customs III Tweeted.
A passenger was intercepted on the basis of intelligence inputs. When his luggage was checked, it was found that he was hiding dollars between the pages of a book which he was carrying. On being inquired, he could not produce valid documents to carry such a huge amount of foreign currency. Another passenger had concealed over 2.5 kg Gold in paste form in his under garment.
The recovered foreign currencies and Gold was seized under section 110 of the Customs Act and the passengers were placed under arrest under section 104 of the Customs Act. They were remanded to 14-day judicial custody a special court in Mumbai. During the examination, the officials learnt that they were involved in smuggling.
Earlier this month, the Mumbai Airport Customs had seized foreign currencies equivalent to Rs1.5 crore from an Indian passenger travelling to Dubai. Currency notes included USD, Pounds, Riyals and Dirhams ingeniously concealed in side walls of two fruit cartons. The Customs officials are in the process of tracing the supplier and recipients of foreign currency and gold.
Seizures at airport this month
January 10-Foreign currencies equivalent to Rs 1.5 crore found hidden in fruits cartons, January 6-2.81 kg cocaine valued at Rs 28.10 crore found concealed in duffle bag. Similarly on the same day, 1.596 kg cocaine valued at Rs15.96 crore ingeniously hidden in clothes buttons was seized, January 5-Four lakh cigarette sticks valued at Rs 30 lakh were impounded and on January 4-4.47 kg heroin valued at Rs31.29 crore found hidden in folder covers.
