Customs authorities at the Mumbai international airport seized 3.8 kg of gold concealed in a flask full of coffee and coffee powder bottles that a group of Kenyan women were trying to smuggle into the country.
Mumbai Airport Customs intercepted a number of passengers who had ingeniously concealed gold and seized 3.8 kg Gold valued at Rs. 1.52 Crore from them. the Gold was found hidden in Coffee flask full of Coffee, in footwear and also in hair clutches. pic.twitter.com/gaS62HMLrH
— Mukesh singh sengar मुकेश सिंह सेंगर (@mukeshmukeshs) December 20, 2021
The group of 18 Kenyan women had arrived on a flight from Sharjah on Sunday.
The gold in the form of bars, wires and powder, worth around Rs 1.5 crore, was also concealed in the linings of inner-clothes and footwear of the women.
One Kenyan woman was arrested and charged for smuggling contraband as she was carrying a very large quantity of gold while others were allowed to go, a Customs official said.
The UAE is a major hub for buying gold as prices are much lower than India where there is a huge demand for the precious metal.
Earlier this month Customs authorities at Hyderabad airport recovered 7.3 kg of gold worth Rs 3.6 crore that was being smuggled into the country by four Sudanese passengers from Dubai.
In a similar incident in July, Customs authorities in Chennai had nabbed a man travelling from Dubai with 810 grams of gold worth over Rs 40 lakh hidden in his rectum, in the form of four bundles of gold paste.
Also read: 85.5 kg gold seized at Delhi air cargo complex as DRI busts massive smuggling racket