News

The Mumbai customs seized 9.79 kg of gold and electronics worth ₹ 6.75 crore and foreign currency valued at ₹ 88 lakh in a four-day drive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, an official said on Saturday.

Four persons have been arrested in 20 cases in connection with the seizures that were carried out from May 27 to May 30, the official said.

Two foreign nationals travelling from Sharjah and Muscat to Mumbai were found carrying gold dust in wax concealed in rubber sheets recovered from their prayer mats, he said.

An Indian national travelling to Bangkok was caught with foreign currency valued at ₹ 88.6 lakh hidden inside two shampoo bottles.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/customs-seizes-gold-electronics-worth-rs-6-75-crore-at-mumbai-airport-5794938

Police have arrested four persons after recovering counterfeited currency notes with a total face value of Rs 25 lakh in Nagpur. The arrests and seizure were made on Wednesday by the Sitabuldi police on the complaint of Rahul Vasudev Thakur. Each bundle had one genuine note on each side, the official said, adding that the accused had cheated several people using the same method.

https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/fake-currency-notes-with-rs-25-lakh-face-value-seized-in-nagpur-four-held-3044616

In a significant operation, the STF Assam raided a residence in Chirang district, uncovering a fake currency racket. Three individuals were arrested and fake currency along with printing equipment was seized.

Items recovered during the raid include FICN with a face value of Rs. 18,000 (36 notes of Rs. 500 denomination), 8 bundles of white paper resembling Rs. 500 notes, one FICN printing machine, four mobile phones, one bundle of A-4 size paper, and one Renault Kwid bearing registration number AS 01 BX 5504.

On the otherhand, police in Goalpara district’s Agia area arrested two traffickers and seized a substantial amount of fake money on Monday (May 29). The police raid uncovered counterfeit currency totalling 5 lakh 11 thousand rupees.

https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/assam-police-busts-fake-currency-racket-in-chirang-three-arrested-1017301-2024-05-29

Trichy: The air intelligence unit (AIU) of customs department at Trichy International Airport seized more than 1,200 e-cigarettes from two air passengers who arrived from Malaysia on Saturday night.

AIU in a statement on Monday said that the officers got an intelligence input that some passengers indulging in the smuggling of e-cigarettes into India were landing at the Trichy airport on Saturday.

Acting on the information, the AIU officials intensified vigil during the check-out of inward passengers. They checked the passengers who arrived at the airport by OD 223 Batik Airlines from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The intense check brought to light the smuggling of 1,285 e-cigarettes (VAPE) totally valued at 32.1 lakh by two passengers.

AIU officials seized the e-cigarettes from the two passengers as the import of the e-cigarettes remains prohibited in India. The seized e-cigarettes were of nearly seven varieties made abroad.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/e-cigarettes-valued-at-32l-seized-from-two-air-passengers/articleshow/110477558.cms

Five Uzbek nationals have been arrested by customs officials at the airport here for allegedly smuggling close to 3 kg of gold worth ₹1.92 crore into the country, according to a statement on Monday. They had hoped to evade scrutiny of the customs department by smuggling the gold, bought from Dubai, through the domestic terminal in Delhi instead of international arrivals at the Mumbai airport. Following a thorough personal search and baggage examination, nine gold chains weighing 2.8 kg were found, it said, adding the total value of the recovered gold was ₹1.92 crore.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/five-uzbek-nationals-arrested-at-delhi-airport-for-smuggling-gold-worth-192-crore/article68221537.ece

Hyderabad: The sleuths of Hyderabad Police Commissioner’s Task Force busted an international smartphone smuggling and mobile phone theft gang with the arrest of 31 people including a Sudanese National.

As many as 713 smart phones, an auto rickshaw, two computers and a laptop, all worth over Rs.2 crore were seized from the possession of arrested persons. Of the 31 people, 15 of them were phone snatchers while 11 were receivers of stolen phones and four of them were technicians, who unlock the stolen mobile phones and temper with the IMEI numbers.

The arrested Sudan national has been identified as Mohammed Musa Hassan Gamaralanbia, 26, a phone accessories businessman and resident of Bhismillah Residency in Nanalnagar and native of Gabr at Khartom in Sudan

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/telangana/hyderabad-police-bust-intl-smart-phones-smuggling-31-held-895811

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers on Saturday busted a gold-smuggling syndicate operating from a hotel near the Ahmedabad International Airport, resulting in the seizure of a huge cache of precious metal.

During the operation, the DRI seized a total of 10.32 kilograms of 24-karat gold worth Rs 7.75 crore.

Based on an intelligence tip-off, DRI officers discreetly chased and tracked two passengers arriving from Abu Dhabi, at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPI), along with two other individuals at the airport to receive them.

All the ten members, including the key handler, actively involved in smuggling, have been arrested by the DRI under the Customs Act.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/gold-worth-rs-775-crore-seized-after-smuggling-gang-busted-in-ahmedabad-2543917-2024-05-26

MUMBAI: The Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone-III in last one week seized over 11.40 Kg Gold & Electronics goods totally valued at Rs. 7.46 Cr in 24 separate cases. Officials said that due to surge in gold prices the profits in smuggling too increased and increased the risk. Smugglers smuggled gold hiding concealing inside clothes, sanitary pad, trolly, undergarments and inside and on the bodies.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/11-40-kg-gold-and-electronic-goods-worth-rs-8-crores-seized-at-airport/articleshow/110372158.cms