DRI arrests two for smuggling gold valued at Rs 1.14 crore

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) today arrested two persons for allegedly smuggling 4.2-kg of gold worth around Rs 1.14 crore.
The agency said they stopped a consignment after it was cleared by the Customs in the unaccompanied baggage section of Air Cargo Complex.
The consignment consisted of ten cartons declared as old clothes valued at Rs 13,000 which were imported in the name of one Usha Mudaliar, a resident of Mulund who arrived from Dubai a few days ago, the agency said.
"On examination, the officers found that the hooks and hook supports of the trousers were heavier than normal. Detailed examination revealed that these hooks and hook supports were actually made of gold coated with silver colour as camouflage," the official said.

The agency said that 364 silver coloured metallic pieces purported to be gold totally weighing 4.2-kg provisionally valued at Rs 1.14 crore were recovered from 91 trousers which had been imported in the guise of legitimate unaccompanied baggage.
DRI said that the entire gold has been seized.

It said one Pinakin Sodha - a Custom House Agent engaged in clearance, in a statement informed that these goods were supposed to be delivered to one Durriya Ismail Soni and Yusuf Azgar Lokhandwala. Both were arrested.
Sodha said that Ismail and Lokhandwala had earlier also cleared consignments in a similar fashion.
While Mudaliar, in whose name the import took place, said she had met Soni a few days ago and had given her passport for a monetary consideration.

She further denied having imported anything through unaccompanied baggage.
Lokhandwala has admitted knowledge of gold in the present consignment and also stated that he has cleared similar consignments in the past through the same mode, claimed agency officials.
While Soni admitted that she had procured the passport from Mudaliar and engaged services of the agent for clearance of the consignments with gold concealed inside, the officials said.
Meanwhile, in another related incident, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Customs today arrested a passenger and recovered 3-kg gold worth Rs 91 lakh from him.
The officials said they stopped one Shadab Khan a Delhi resident who had arrived from Dubai and recovered two gold bars of one kg and one gold bar of 1 kg cut into four pieces.