Rs 10 crore gold smuggled from HK seized at Mumbai airport

MUMBAI: In a single day, 36kg gold worth Rs 10 crore, smuggled in via an air courier in two consignments from Hong Kong, was seized at the airport by customs and directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) officials on Friday night.
Both agencies were working on separate information but in the end they found that the importer and the supplier of the two consignments were the same. Khawaja Moinuddin, who arrived to claim the gold, was arrested by DRI. The syndicate has allegedly smuggled in 600kg worth Rs 180 crore since June, said DRI officials.

DRI, acting on specific information, seized 18kg gold concealed in power supply panels. The airport customs, working on similar information, seized another consignment which contained 18kg gold. In this instance too, the gold was concealed in power supply panels. “Once gold is recovered, the panels are sold at a throwaway prices,” said a source. The gold was to be delivered to one Manoj Sharma from Vile Parle. “We found it was a fake address,” added the official.

The syndicate operated on a need-to-know basis, said officials. Moinuddin was informed at the last moment about the person who was to collect the gold which originated inDubai and was routed through Hong Kong to hoodwink the agencies. Both consignments were sent through Mas Courier, owned by Moinuddin’s brother-in-law Abdullah Shaikh, an NRI from Dubai.