Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a major gold smuggling syndicate that used passengers as mules, and arrested Farida Juzar Hajuri, a resident of Vasai (W), from the international airport at Sahar for attempting to smuggle 6.053 kg of gold worth Rs. 1.16 crore. The gold was concealed in bubble wrap on Hajuri’s person, who arrived on Emirates flight EK502 from Dubai late on Friday, officials said.
Senior DRI officials said Hajuri was attempting to smuggle assorted gold jewellery without declaring it to Customs. The jewellery was seized on the charges of being smuggled into India ‘in a clandestine manner’ and ‘in contravention’ of the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. They said the arrest was made based on a specific tip-off and intelligence gathered by officials of the Mumbai zonal unit. Hajuri, an Indian passport holder, was intercepted by DRI officers as soon as she cleared the Green Channel at T2. She has been charged under section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962.
When searched, Hajuri was found to be in possession of four packets containing jewellery. Senior officials said she admitted to being part of a gold-smuggling syndicate which routinely sends carriers to bring back gold and gold jewellery.
On January 4, DRI had intercepted Kabadsha Mohammed Fawaz, 26, who arrived from Dubai on Jet Airways flight 9W537 with 42 gold tola bars weighing 4.9 kg. The DRI has increased vigilance at the airport and at sea, officials said, as a boat from Sri Lanka was intercepted near Mandapam, Tamil Nadu with 8.7 kg of gold on it.
