The officers at Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai, Zone-III, seized Gold weighing 1596 grams provisionally valued at ₹1.16 crores and recovered foreign currencies, and natural and lab grown diamonds, total valued at ₹1.36 crore across 4 cases between January 19-21, 2025.
In the first case, on January 19, 2025, Customs officers intercepted a passenger arriving from Sharjah on January 5, 2025, based on spot profiling and recovered 24 KT Crude Gold Dust in Wax having total net weight of 725 grams, provisionally valued at ₹52.74 Lakh and gold melted pieces weighing 456.12 grams provisionally valued at ₹33.17 lakh.
The gold was concealed ingeniously in the body cavity, pasted in papers and cloth, in the specially tailored pouches in jeans worn by the passenger. Total gold seized from the passenger was 1181 grams provisionally valued at ₹85.91 Lakh and the passenger was arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
On January 20, 2025, another passenger arriving from Bahrain was intercepted, also based on spot profiling. During an X-ray examination it was found that the passenger had ingested melted gold pieces weighing 415 grams provisionally valued at ₹31.08 lakh.
In the third case on January 21, 2025, acting on specific intelligence, Customs officers intercepted two passengers departing for Muscat. The Officers recovered Foreign Currencies of Euro 4500, Saudi Riyal 39,000, Omani Riyal 2,340 from one passenger and Foreign Currencies of Saudi Riyal 59,500 and 446.62 Carat Natural and Lab grown loose diamonds, total valued at 1.05 crores, from another passenger. The foreign currency was concealed inside the baggage of the passengers, while diamonds were concealed inside the body cavity of a passenger. One passenger was arrested in this case under the Customs Act, 1962.