BENGALURU: In yet another novel method of smuggling, passengers flew in with gold ground into a paste and concealed inside sandals to avoid detection by customs officials. The metal paste, weighing over 1.3kg worth and Rs 41.3 lakh, was seized from two flyers at
Kempegowda International Airport on Sunday.
Officials of the customs’ Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) intercepted the two passengers over suspicion after they disembarked from an
Air India flight from Dubai via Goa. One passenger, identified as Samseer Ali, boarded the flight from Dubai wearing the green sandals with the gold paste hidden in the sole. When the aircraft reached Goa, his aide Salman Faris boarded the flight and sat next to Ali. The duo arrived in Bengaluru and tried to slip away from the officials. However, following passenger profiling, customs sleuths found the two acting in a suspicious manner and detained them.
On questioning, they revealed they were smuggling gold, following which the sleuths seized the sandals Faris was wearing and cut them open to discover 1.3kg of gold paste. The duo was arrested, sources said.
In two other cases on Thursday and Saturday respectively, customs officials intercepted three passengers who arrived from Dubai and Kuala Lumpur with a total of over 900gms of gold estimated to be worth nearly Rs 29 lakh. The smuggled gold crafted into crude jewellery was worn by the men when they were caught, sources added.
On questioning, they revealed they were smuggling gold, following which the sleuths seized the sandals Faris w... Read More
