Nine air passengers, including seven Mauritius nationals, were arrested at the airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle in gold and 18 kg of the metal valued at Rs 4.92 crore was seized, officials said today.
Customs officials, in co-ordination with Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), made the arrests in separate cases at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport last night. It was one of biggest gold seizures in a single day at the country's busiest airport.
Gold weighing three kg each was found inside toilets of two Jet Airways flights, while seven Mauritians, who arrived from Bangkok, were held with 4.95 kg of the yellow metal. Two Indian passengers arriving from Dubai were found with 7 kg of the precious metal, a Customs official told PTI.
The total value of the confiscated gold is estimated to be about Rs 4.92 crore, he added.
According to Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs, seven passengers with Mauritius passports were intercepted and upon checking, they were found to be wearing 42 crude gold ornaments weighing 4.95 kg and valued at Rs 1.36 crore.
They did not declare the gold and their intention was to smuggle in the yellow metal, the official said, adding, "All seven were arrested for violating Customs rules."
Gold bars weighing 6 kg and estimated to be worth Rs 1.64 crore were found in the toilets of two Jet Airways flights.
An Indian passenger, Vinay Kumar Balkishan, and his associate, whose name was not yet disclosed by the Customs, were found carrying seven kg of gold jewellery worth Rs 1.92 crore, he added.
