Woman hiding 2.2 kg gold in innerwear caught by Mumbai airport customs
Gold recovered from the woman. Picture Courtesy : Dharmesh Thakkar
On Monday, officials from the customs department arrested a woman trying to smuggle 2.2 kg gold at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
The woman, identified as Farhath Unnisa, had concealed gold worth approximately Rs 64 lakh in her undergarments. Unnisa had arrived via Jet Airways 9W543 Dubai – Mumbai flight.
The frequent flyer was intercepted by authorities on suspicion. During interrogation, she admitted to smuggling gold on behalf of a third party. She was later released on bail.
According to an official with the customs department, “The smugglers are always trying new methods to dodge customs. There has also been a surge in the number of women caught for smuggling over the last few years. Earlier, they used to get a pass since most smugglers were male. But we are extra careful with both men and women nowadays.”
“We also keep an eye on the airport staff as many of them have been involved in such cases in the past,” he added.
Earlier this month, customs had also intercepted a senior Air India pilot and caught him smuggling gold worth Rs 15 lakh. He too was released on bail.
