It seems that gold smugglers are actively involved to bring in smuggled gold in the country through various modus operandi, but Chennai Custom officials are extra alert to curb the menace. A smuggling racket involving airport housekeeping contract staff has been busted by Chennai air customs.
On specific intelligence input that gold is likely to be smuggled by a passenger arriving from Dubai, by flight 6E 8497, Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officials maintained strict vigil on every passenger’s movement. It was found that one airport janitor went inside the cloak room, he was followed by AIU officials, and he was caught red handed while retrieving two black bundles from a waste bucket. Upon opening the bundles, three gold paste packets were recovered weighing 2 kg. On extraction 1.81 Kg of gold valued at Rs. 93.2 lakhs was recovered and seized under Customs Act.
Rajan Chaudhary, commisioner Chennai Air Customs with officials and arrested gold smugglers (Sitting)
The suspect passenger Sheikhussman, 35 of Trichy was intercepted at the exit point and taken into custody for enquiry. The janitor who picked up the smuggled packet from dustbin was identified as Gnanasekar, 31 from his airport entry pass. He is an employee of M/s Service Master Clean Limited (SMCL), Chennai, who is providing housekeeping maintenance services at Chennai airport. On extensive questioning, he revealed that one of his colleagues namely Shankar asked him to collect the bundles from the transit toilet. Shankar was following instruction of his boss who is working as a Supervisor in SMCL. The passenger received a call from someone outside the airport who had come to receive him. He was taken out and the receiver was apprehended when he approached him. He was identified as one Syed Ibrahim Shah, 21, of Chennai. Kumar who was not at the airport was apprehended later on. Kumar is the mastermind of this smuggling racket. All five have been arrested.
In another incident based on specific information, Etihad Airways flight EY-268 which arrived from Abu Dhabi was rummaged through. Three bundles were recovered from the two toilets in aircraft during rummaging. On cut opening 4 gold bars of 1 kg each with foreign markings and 3 rectangular gold plates totaling 5.1 kg valued at Rs. 2.63 Crore were recovered and seized as unclaimed. In totality, Chennai Airport customs seized 6.9 Kg gold which is valued at Rs 3.6 Crore. Further Investigation is under progress.
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
