Mumbai Customs officials carried out a major operation at the international airport, seizing gold worth ₹1.05 crore. The authorities have arrested Sohail Sendole (24), an airport staff member, Musahib Akhtar Ansari (41), a passenger, and Tabrez Shaikh (23), a manager at a fast-food joint in the airport premises.
According to sources, the incident occurred on Tuesday night when customs officials stopped passenger Ansari, who had arrived from Dubai. Ansari, noticing the customs officers, began behaving suspiciously and moved around nervously. Unbeknownst to him, the customs team had been keeping a close watch on his movements.
Ansari attempted to divert attention by heading towards the prayer hall under the pretext of charging his mobile phone. There, he met Sohail, shook hands, and discreetly handed him a few packets. Sohail concealed these packets in his trouser pocket and walked away.
Acting swiftly, the customs team intercepted Sohail and conducted a thorough check. They found 1,530 grams of gold dust molded into wax-like forms (three pieces weighing 1.5 kg), valued at ₹1.05 crore.
Following the discovery, all three individuals were arrested. Further investigations into the smuggling network are currently underway.