Mumbai airport officials have seized foreign currency worth around '3.60 crore being smuggled out of the country in the past 20 days. The seizure was made from six passengers on three occasions.
According to the Mumbai airport customs, in the calendar year 2016, officials have seized currencies worth Rs 5.93 crore at the Mumbai airport. The corresponding figures for the year 2015 and 2014 are Rs 4.51 crore and Rs 1.78 crore respectively.
Meanwhile in the wee hours of Friday in the city airport, AIU officials intercepted Syed Afeef Barmawar, a passenger who was booked on a Dubai-bound Indigo flight. A search of his checked-in baggage resulted in recovery of US Dollars 2,500, Euros 3,100, Saudi Riyal 45,000 and UAE Dirhams 255, totally amounting to Rs 11,70,360.
Confirming the seizure, deputy commissioner AIU, Pradanyasheel Jumle, informed, “Barmawar had kept the currency concealed inside one corn ‘chivda’ packet kept inside one of his checked-in baggage and the bottom cloth covering of his other checked-in baggage.”
In another case, one Abdur Rab Abdul Gafoor, booked on same Indigo flight for Dubai, was intercepted with foreign currency in form of Kuwaiti Dinar 665, Oman Riyal 4,570, and Saudi Riyal 2,000 totally amounting to Rs 9,70,286. The sources informed this newspaper that Gafoor often used to visit Dubai for a short period on a regular basis and due to this, customs officials did passenger profiling and intercepted him.
“Prima face, we are suspecting that the currency is going against gold as a payment,” said Mr Jumle.
