Customs authorities arrested two men for allegedly smuggling 1,950 grams of gold valued at ₹1.23 crore. The suspects, Mohammed Gulrez (52) and Mazid Mou Raashid (29), were apprehended and later presented in court, where they were remanded to judicial custody.
The arrests occurred on Friday when CISF personnel intercepted the duo at the arrival gate of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. A thorough search revealed the concealed gold, leading to their transfer to the Customs Air Intelligence Unit.
During interrogation, Gulrez claimed he was a farmer from Uttar Pradesh who had traveled to Mumbai to collect a package from unidentified individuals. He recounted receiving a call from a known contact in Saudi Arabia named Adil, who instructed him to retrieve the package in exchange for a monetary reward and travel expenses. The package, a heavy black-colored waistband, was handed to him at the airport arrival gate.
Raashid, on the other hand, stated that a known contact from Roorkee named Samad had called him with instructions to covertly obtain a gold-containing package from Gulrez at the airport and transport it to Delhi. Authorities are continuing to investigate the case to uncover further details and connections in this smuggling operation.