Mumbai Customs seize over 2 kg of gold worth Rs 1.48 crore at airport, two held

The seized gold

The Mumbai Customs on Thursday said that it has seized over 2 kg of gold at the airport and two people were held in connection with the seizure.

The customs department said that the officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMI) in Mumbai seized a total of 2.073 kilograms of gold, worth an estimated Rs. 1.48 crore.

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It said that the seizure was made across two separate cases on December 18 and 19, 2024.

The Mumbai Customs said that on December 18, a significant bust took place when the CISF staff at the Mumbai airport apprehended a private airport staff member who was found carrying three oval-shaped capsules hidden inside a pair of black-colored socks. Upon inspection by the customs officials, it was found that the capsules contained 24 KT gold dust encased in wax, weighing 1.363 kilograms. The gold was provisionally valued at Rs 96 Lakh.

The investigation revealed that the gold had been handed over to the private airport staff by a transit passenger, with the intention of smuggling it out of the airport. After further interrogation, the private staff member admitted to the crime. He was subsequently arrested under the Customs Act, 1962.

In a second operation on December 19, 2024, customs officers, acting on spot profiling, intercepted a passenger arriving from Jeddah. The passenger was found to be carrying gold dust in wax, which was concealed within his body cavity. The total gross weight of the recovered gold was 745 grams, with a net weight of 710 grams, valued at Rs 52 Lakh, the officials said.

The passenger was arrested for attempting to smuggle the gold into the country.