Over Rs 1.5 crore gold seized at Indira Gandhi International Airport

A man was arrested for smuggling close to 6 kg of gold worth over Rs 1.5 crore at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday.

According to a police source, the accused, identified as Mohammed Shareef Alunkal, reportedly belongs to a notorious gold cartel in Mumbai. “Shareef was travelling from Bahrain to Mumbai via Delhi. Security agencies received intelligence that someone would be carrying contraband likely to be gold on Thursday,” said the source.

Shareef had arrived in Delhi and was going to board the Indigo flight to Mumbai. Meanwhile, Intelligence Bureau officials were closely monitoring Shareef and his movements. “When Shareef’s bag was going through checking at the airport to be loaded into the Indigo flight to Mumbai, security officials found something suspicious about it and separated the bag for inspecting the contents of the bag,” said the source.

On opening the bag, which was unusually heavy, officials found some personal goods and two emergency lights. On inspecting further, 11 bars of gold was found inside a cavity made in each emergency light. The officials immediately inquired about the owner of the bag and got to know about Shareef. “Shareef had already exited IGIA Terminal 3 to board his flight to Mumbai when he was nabbed and brought to the customs prevention area at IGIA Terminal D. On asking for relevant documents for possessing the gold, the accused could not produce any and finally confessed to the crime,” said the source, adding: “The 22 bars of gold weighed closed to 6 kg and amounted to around Rs 1.50 crore.”

The accused was immediately arrested and booked under Sections 132 and 135 of the Customs Act and sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

“There are more people involved with the crime and further investigations are on. The smugglers travel via Delhi to other places in order to avoid security checks and getting caught,” said a senior police official.