The air intelligence unit (AIU) of customs on Wednesday arrested a Dubai-bound passenger trying to smuggle foreign currencies worth Rs 2.67 crore. The unit also intercepted and fined another Dubai-bound passenger caught carrying $20,000 (worth Rs 13.2 lakh).
According to AIU sources, late on Wednesday night Sanjay Kumar Pannaa Soni was to take off to Dubai on a Jet airways flight when officials found his behaviour suspicious. They searched him and found he was carrying $3,00,000, 1,62,000 Saudi Arabian riyals, 260 Kuwait dinar, 250 Bahrain dinar and 2,07,000 UAE dirham. The foreign currency he was carrying was equivalent to Rs 2,67,82,029. Soni was immediately arrested. He was trying to smuggle the currencies wrapped in a cloth piece inside his baggage.
The official further revealed that Soni confessed that the currencies originally belonged to one Girishbhai, who had paid him Rs 20,000 and a return ticket to smuggle them. According to sources, Girishbhai is a jewellery shop owner and officials are trying to ascertain his role in the case. “We suspect that the currencies were going against gold as a payment,” revealed the official.
In the second similar instance, a passenger, identified as Durga Ram Purohit, was on his way to Dubai on a Spicejet flight when he was intercepted and found to be carrying $20,000 (Rs 13.2 lakh). As the amount was below Rs 20 lakh, he was allowed to go later after paying a penalty.
A top AIU official said that it is being suspected that currencies are getting smuggled out of the country in return of gold. A senior AIU official said that carrying foreign currency is illegal unless the passengers have proper receipt or documents from a legal money exchange service provider.
