21-year-old Youth arrested at MIA for Smuggling Gold Bars worth Rs 39 Lakhs
Mangaluru: Acting on credible intelligence that one International passenger by name Ahamed Nabeel Gafoor, aged about 21 years from Kasargod, Kerala arriving by Spicejet Flight No SG-60 from Dubai on January 30, attempted to smuggle gold.
The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Regional Unit, Mangalore, mounted surveillance at the Mangalore International Airport.
On arrival of the Aircraft from Dubai, the said passenger Ahamed Nabeel Gafoor was identified and intercepted right at the Aircraft door and was escorted to Customs Arrival area and subjected to thorough checking.
On his personal check, it was revealed that he was carrying a mobile like item in his front trouser pocket. It was also observed that the said so-called mobile was heavier than usual and it was sealed from all the sides. On interrogation, Ahamed Nabeel accepted that he has concealed 11 Gold tola bars of foreign origin inside that mobile pouch.
On opening the said mobile cover (pouch) was found that 7 tola bars of gold of foreign origin(intact) and 4 tola bars of gold of foreign origin cut into 8 pieces(totally 15 pieces) were cleverly concealed inside the mobile phone cover(pouch) by using black/silver adhesive tapes in order to avoid detection.
The said gold pieces weighed 1282 grams in total and were found to be of 24 Karat purity and their current market value was placed at around Rs 39 lakhs. The contraband gold was later seized by the officers of DRI under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. The passenger Ahamed Nabeel Gafoor was arrested for attempting to smuggle gold bars into the country.
Further investigation in the case is in Progress.
