PUNE: The Customs officers at Pune airport nabbed a passenger who arrived from Dubai by Air India flight on Monday for smuggling 957 gm of gold in paste form worth Rs 31.13 lakh.
The passenger was identified as Shehzad Baba Miya Momin. He arrived by flight number IX 212 from Dubai to Pune at 10.35 am.
According to the Customs officials, “The personal search of the passenger resulted in the recovery of one polythene bag containing gold in paste form. These polythene bags were concealed by means of support black belt around his head wig.”
A source from the Customs said, “The passenger was watched closely during the de-boarding. He aroused suspicion because his hair looked bigger than normal. After completion of immigration process, our suspicions were confirmed when he was passing through the green channel (where the international passengers are scanned). Then we checked him physically.” The accused was wearing a wig on top of his hair.
Momin was a regular flier to Dubai from Mumbai and Delhi. This time he went to Dubai from Delhi and arrived in Pune. He was lodged to Yerawada Jail. The personal search conducted by the officers resulted in the recovery of 957.10 gm gold valued Rs 31,13,446. The gold recovered from the passenger was seized under the reasonable belief that the same was attempted to be smuggled in India and hence liable for confiscation under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
“The passenger admitted conscious possession, carriage, concealment and recovery of the gold under seizure. Further investigation is under progress,” said a statement released by the Customs.
