The Airport Customs on Wednesday arrested a man working at an outlet at the Mumbai international airport for allegedly being part of a gold smuggling syndicate. The accused was found having possession of smuggled gold worth Rs 96 lakh. He also told the agency officials that he had managed to successfully smuggle gold out of the airport on three occasions in the past.
The arrested person has been identified as M.R.A. Razique (35), a resident of Kurla.
According to the Customs sources, based on suspicion, the officers of CISF intercepted Razique, who works as a sales executive at an outlet situated at the international departure hall at the airport. The CISF team found three oval shaped capsules containing gold dust in wax form from Razique’s possession. The Customs officials were then informed about the seizure.
In his questioning, Razique told Customs officials that the said gold was handed over to him by an unknown lady transit passenger at his outlet. “Razique said that he was going to hand over the said gold to one Arfat outside the airport. Rashid has also admitted that so far he has managed to smuggle gold and handed it over to people outside airport on three earlier occasions and this was his fourth attempt,” said a Customs source.
The Customs have seized total 1300 grams valued at Rs 96.20 lakh. “Probe has revealed that Razique has been involved in act of conspiracy with the gold smuggling syndicate and was also indulged in carrying out smuggled gold outside airport in spite of being an employee of a business outlet operating from the airport,” said a Customs official.
