Turkmenistan man held for smuggling Rs 1.19-cr gold

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The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Customs on Thursday night arrested a Turkmenistan national for allegedly smuggling gold worth Rs 1.19 crore. He was apprehended after he entered the green channel without declaring the gold. According to officials, the accused, Guvanch Pendiyev, had plated the gold with rhodium to dodge Indian law-enforcement agencies.

Customs officials stated that Pendiyev arrived from Dubai via an Air India flight and after picking up his luggage from the baggage belt he entered the green channel which is for passengers who have no dutiable goods to declare.

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The authorities recorded Pendiyev's statement under Section 108 of the Customs Act, 1962, and the latter confessed to bringing the gold in a concealed manner to avoid paying the customs duty. They are investigating whether he was smuggling the precious metal on someone's behalf or was a part of a syndicate or just a carrier. The accused was produced before the Esplanade Court in south Mumbai on Friday.

"During a search of the accused, he was found to be carrying a black handbag containing two crude gold chains and two bracelets plated with white rhodium and a bracelet and two belt buckles coated in black rhodium. The market value of the seized items is approximately Rs 1,19,18,056," a customs official told the court.

Officials stated that Pendiyev should be sent to judicial custody as he was a foreign national and may escape, hampering the investigation. The court, accordingly, remanded the accused in judicial custody for 14 days. Mumbai Customs sources have said that numerous cases have come to light where smugglers are using various chemicals to conceal gold.