Eighteen Sudanese women as well as an Indian woman were arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at the Mumbai airport for allegedly smuggling 16.36 kg of the yellow metal in paste form valued at Rs 10.16 crore. The officials busted the gold smuggling racket at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International based on a specific tip-off.
In a follow-up search at related premises, 1.42 kg of gold valued approximately at Rs 85 lakh along with foreign currency worth Rs 16 lakh and Indian notes of Rs 88 lakh were also recovered, an official said on Tuesday.
DRI officials beefed up surveillance at the city airport after information was received that gold in paste form is going to be smuggled into India by a syndicate of passengers travelling from the UAE to Mumbai on Monday.
Passengers suspected to be part of the syndicate travelling in three flights were identified and intercepted by a team of the DRI at the airport, news agency PTI quoted the official as saying.
As the search intensified, the DRI recovered 16.36 kg of gold in paste form, gold cut pieces and jewellery, collectively valued at Rs 10.16 crore.
Official said that 18 women from Sudan were carrying the smuggled gold, while the Indian woman was coordinating the movement of the passengers. All were arrested.
Further probe was underway.
(with inputs from PTI)
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