How smuggling racket recruited Indian flyers...

CHENNAI: Indian air passengers from Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore, are being targeted by a smuggling syndicate operating from Mannady to smuggle gold and other goods, according to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials. Officials busted the gang on Thursday and seized 17.9 kg of foreign gold worth Rs 6.24 crore which was smuggled through Chennai Airport by various carriers and passengers by concealment in domestic appliances, gadgets, home theatre and microwave ovens.

The syndicate, which has a den in Mannady, was working in coordination with a mastermind in Malaysia and would identify passengers returning from Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore and coax them into carrying appliances and gadgets by posing as genuine passengers to avoid raising the suspicion of Customs and hand them to syndicate members waiting outside the airport for monetary consideration.

Six persons, which include the kingpin, his aide and close relatives and two carriers, have been arrested in this connection, DRI said. A large quantity of smuggled goods including iPhones, smart watches, USB chips, solid state storage devices, camera lenses and cigarettes intended for distribution in grey market worth Rs 1.1 crore, was seized. Similarly, remnants of the appliances from which gold was retrieved and tools used for retrieval of gold, were also seized.

Besides the seizure of Rs 33 lakh in Indian and foreign currencies believed to be the sale proceeds of smuggled gold, the officers also seized three vehicles used to transport smuggled goods to their den. This is part of the seizure of 24.8 kg of gold valued at Rs 8.58 crore including electronic goods and cigarettes during the last four days wherein seven persons were arrested in this regard.

In a separate incident on Monday, DRI officials searched a flight and seized 5.72 kg gold of foreign origin worth Rs 1.97 crore concealed deep inside the hollow of one of the aircraft in Chennai airport. In another incident on Monday, DRI sleuths seized 1.13 kg gold worth Rs 37.41 lakh from a group of passengers from Malaysia at Tiruchy airport. DRI said the mastermind who landed on  very next flight from Malaysia at Tiruchy, was apprehended.

Den in Mannady
The syndicate, which has a den in Mannady, was working in coordination with a mastermind in Malaysia and would identify passengers returning from Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore and coax them into carrying appliances by posing as genuine passengers to avoid raising the suspicion of Customs and hand them to syndicate members waiting outside the airport for money

Rs 1.1 crore
worth smuggled goods, including iPhones, smart watches, storage devices, camera lenses and cigarettes intended for distribution in grey market, were seized