Fyler conceals foreign currency worth Rs 14 lakh in socks & trolley handle, caught at Mumbai airport 

Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) on Thursday caught a flyer travelling with foreign currency worth approximately Rs 14 lakh at Mumbai Airport.

The flyer, identified as Mohammad Kunhi, was intercepted by the AIU based on profiling on Thursday night when he was leaving for Dubai.

Kunhi had concealed the currency in his socks and the handle of his trolley bag.

“The personal search of the said passenger resulted in the recovery of 13000 Saudi riyal concealed in the socks worn by him. Further detailed examination of 2 trolley bags, kept one inside the other, which he was carrying as hand baggage resulted in the recovery of 38,500 Saudi riyal, 18,300 UAE dirham, 350 Omani riyal, 1,750 Qatar riyal and $200 which was cleverly concealed in the hollow pipes of the handle bars of the said 2 trolley bags,” an AIU officer said.

“The same has been seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1965 read with Chapter 3.11 of the FEMA, 2000, Para 5 & 6 of the Foreign Exchange Management (Export & Import Currency) Regulation, 2000 and under the reasonable belief that the same were meant to be smuggled out of India,” the officer added.

The AIU also stated that during questioning, the passenger admitted that he was not carrying any documents which permitted him to carry the currency and that he had concealed them to avoid detection by the authorities.

Kunhi admitted recovery, concealment, non-declaration and ownership of the foreign currencies under seizure.