CISF foils two smuggling bids at Mumbai airport, recovers gold worth Rs 2.4 crore

Two separate gold smuggling attempts at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport have led to the recovery of nearly 1.63 kg of gold, with CISF personnel detecting both cases and handing the suspects and recovered material over to Customs authorities for further investigation.In the first incident, detected on August 9, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) intercepted an airport loader who was allegedly involved in receiving smuggled gold from an international transit passenger.The action followed behaviour-based detection by the CISF’s Crime Investigation Wing (CIW) team. At around 4.20 pm, the team intercepted the loader near the smoking zone at International Boarding Gate No. 67.The loader was allegedly receiving a suspicious item concealed in socks from a passenger who had arrived from Dubai and was scheduled to travel onward to Bangkok. The loader was stopped while proceeding towards the OOG Lift area. A detailed search led to the recovery of four oval-shaped gold capsules weighing around 1,311 grams.The loader, the passenger and the recovered gold were subsequently handed over to the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU)/Customs for further necessary action. In a separate incident on October 6 evening, CISF personnel detected another alleged attempt to smuggle gold at Terminal 2 of the Mumbai international airport.A passenger arriving from Sharjah was found carrying 319 grams of gold paste, estimated to be worth around Rs 37 lakh, concealed in the soles of his shoes.According to officials, the passenger was undergoing security checks for an onward domestic flight to Jaipur when CISF personnel asked him to place his footwear through the X-ray machine.The screening revealed gold paste concealed inside the soles of his shoes. He was subsequently handed over to Customs authorities for further investigation.The two incidents highlight the role of CISF personnel, particularly behaviour detection and targeted screening, in identifying suspected smuggling attempts at the airport.The recovered gold and the individuals involved have been handed over to the relevant authorities, who are expected to investigate the source, intended recipients and possible wider network linked to the alleged smuggling attempts.- EndsWith PTI inputs