Gold worth Rs 14.66 lakh seized at Pune airport

Pune: Officers from the Customs Department at the Pune international airport, Lohegaon, have recovered 559.6-gram gold worth Rs 14.66 lakh from a passenger, who arrived here from Dubai on Sunday. The gold was in paste form. 

According to Deputy Commissioner of Customs Harshal Mete, the passenger was identified as Mohammed Nakhib Shabber Hasan Bapu. He arrived at the airport by SpiceJet flight No SG-52.
 
A personal search of the passenger resulted in the recovery of one polythene strip containing gold in paste form weighing 559.60 gram estimated to be worth Rs 14.66 lakh. This polythene strip was concealed inside his pants and around his waist.

“The paste containing gold recovered from the passenger was seized under the reasonable belief that the same was attempted to be smuggled into India and hence was liable for confiscation under provisions of the Customs Act. In his statement recorded under section 108 of the Act, the passenger admitted the possession, carriage, concealment and recovery of the said gold in the form of paste under seizure. 

Further investigation is under progress,” Mete said