Mumbai: Customs officials at the Mumbai airport have arrested a passenger for allegedly trying to smuggle 216 grams of gold in a hands-free ear pod used for mobile phones. This is the first time such gold smuggling has been detected at the airport. In the last two days, a total of 2.66 grams of gold has been seized in five cases at the Mumbai airport, valued at Rs 1.5 crore in the international market.
A large number of mobile phones, laptops, and tablet computers have also been seized. In the first of these cases, 987 grams of gold was seized from a foreign passenger from Addis Ababa from his handbag. In the second case, 820 grams of gold hidden in clothes was seized from an Indian passenger from Singapore. He had hidden the gold in the underwear he was wearing. In the third case, 400 grams of gold was seized from an Indian passenger from Dubai. In the fourth case, 242 grams of gold was seized from two Indian passengers from Dubai. This included gold jewelry. In the fifth case, 216 grams of gold was seized from a passenger who came to Mumbai from Riyadh and it was found that he hid the gold in an ear pod used for mobile phones. A total of Rs 5.53 crore worth of gold has been seized at the Mumbai airport between March 10 and March 16.