Nagpur: The Customs Department officers caught a lady passenger at Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in the early hours on Friday while smuggling 1.270 kilograms of 24 carat gold having market value of Rs 72.29 lakh.
According to the Customs officers, the passenger, a resident of Mumbai, arrived at the airport from Sharjah by Air Arabia flight No. G9 415. She had attempted to smuggle gold in paste form which was kept concealed in a specially crafted belt. The passenger, holding Indian Passport, was caught while attempting to smuggle the gold to evade the payment of customs duty.
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Monday 03 Feb. 2025
The alert and vigilant officers of the Customs at the airport upon profiling noticed the suspicious movements of the passenger and upon examination and checking, it was found that she had concealed gold in paste form in the belt worn by her. Further investigation is under progress by the officers of Nagpur Customs under the Customs Act, 1962.
The Customs officers are carrying out the investigation as per the directions of Commissioner of Customs, Sanjay Kumar and Additional Commissioners — Dhairyashil Kanse and Peeyoush Bhati. The team of officers of Air Customs Unit (ACU) and Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Nagpur Customs were led by their Assistant Commissioners V Suresh Babu, ACU and V Lakshmi Narayana, AIU, includes Superintendents Anju Kobragade, Tridip Pal, Prakash Kapse and Sudhakar Barapatre, Inspectors Aditya Bairwa, Krishnakant, Priyanka Meena, and Hawaldars Chandu Dande, Anurag Parikar and Shailendar Yadav.
Recently, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Nagpur had also arrested one person in connection with smuggling gold weighing 743.56 grams worth approximately Rs 44 lakh at the airport. Interestingly, the person identified as Sachin Chandoskar of Ulhasnagar, Thane, had also arrived here by Air Arabia flight from Sharjah. He had hidden the gold in paste form in his underwear. There has been an increase in such incidents at Nagpur Airport.
