Indian national arriving from Ethiopia arrested with 16 kg gold at Mumbai airport

"The Customs Department of Mumbai Airport arrested an Indian national arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Mumbai, with 16 kg of gold worth Rs 8.40 crore," said the Customs.

Mumbai: The Customs department at Mumbai airport arrested an Indian national with 16 kg of gold worth Rs 8.40 crore, said officials on Thursday.

The man was arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Mumbai.

“The Customs Department of Mumbai Airport arrested an Indian national arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Mumbai, with 16 kg of gold worth Rs 8.40 crore,” said the Customs.

Earlier, Mumbai customs seized 15 kgs of gold valued at Rs 7.87 crore in four cases and foreign currency worth Rs 22 lakh in two different cases on Tuesday and Wednesday and arrested seven people in total, the customs official said.

In the first case, officers at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) developed intelligence inputs and caught one Indian national who arrived by Emirates flight EK 500 from Dubai with 9.895 kg of gold valued at Rs 5.20 crore. The gold was kept in a specially designed chest belt with nine pockets which was found wrapped around the chest and shoulder. The Indian national revealed that the gold was handed over to him in Dubai by two Sudanese passengers. The Sudanese passenger was also intercepted and caught.

All three passengers were arrested and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

In the second case, gold in dust form weighing 1.875 kg valued at Rs. 99.75 lakh was seized from an Indian national who had arrived from Chennai to Mumbai by Indigo flight 6E 6149 (earlier landed from Sharjah). Gold dust packets were concealed in undergarments. The passenger was arrested.

In the third case, gold in dust form weighing 1068 grams and 1185 grams valued at Rs. 56,81,760 and Rs. 58,78,600 respectively was seized from two Indian passengers who had arrived from Jeddah by flight Saudia SV 772. Gold dust packets were found concealed in undergarments. Both the passengers were arrested.

In the fourth case, gold dust in wax form weighing 973 grams and valued at Rs 51,17,980 was seized from a Sudanese national who had arrived by Emirates flight EK-504 from Dubai. Gold dust in wax in egg form was found concealed in the rectum by the passengers. The passenger was arrested.