KOCHI: A 33-year-old Afghan national was arrested at
Cochin International Airport Limited (Cial) on Wednesday with Rs 10.8 crore-worth bills of US dollars and
Saudi Riyal. Customs officers believe this could be the biggest seizure of foreign currency in the country.
Sleuths believe the Afghani — Yousuf Muhammed Siddique — is a carrier. Siddique was arrested after he landed in Kochi from Delhi and was on his way to Dubai. Customs officers found dollar bills amounting to Rs 1.4 million and Saudi Riyals worth 0.89 million concealed in Siddique’s check-in baggage.
Siddique had deboarded at Kochi on Tuesday after his original
Air India flight — from Delhi to Dubai via Kochi — developed a snag at Cial and the passengers were shifted to a nearby hotel.
The hidden currency, which went undetected at the IGI Airport in Delhi, was found after the baggage underwent a 3D-screening at Cial before it was loaded to an Emirates flight to Dubai. “The seizure would have been difficult without the 3D scanner,” said Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar.
Siddique claimed he was a small-time trader who purchases clothing from Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar and sells it in
Kabul. He said he was given a business class ticket to Dubai and was unaware of the contents in the baggage. Sleuths are probing his travel history.
“He has visited UAE multiple times. However, as per passport details, he also travels between Delhi and Kabul. We are investigating how he managed to give the slip to scanners multiple times and for violations as per provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA),” Kumar said.
There are several levels of the security screening at Cial.