Mumbai: DRI busts gold smuggling syndicate at CSMI airport, seizing Rs 2.67 crore worth of gold dust and arresting key suspects | Representative Image
Mumbai: Officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have busted a syndicate involved in smuggling gold into India without legal documentation. The agency’s sleuths recently apprehended the woman receiver in connection with a gold smuggling case valued at Rs 2.67 crore.
The DRI officials had received specific intelligence that on November 9, 2024, a passenger was travelling from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai carrying foreign origin gold. As per the intelligence, after his arrival at Mumbai airport, the passenger would be leaving the gold in the aircraft itself.
The said gold would be subsequently retrieved by one airport staff A Barmare. After retrieval, the said gold would be handed over by Barmare to another airport staff member S Phoolwala who would attempt to smuggle the gold out of the airport. Acting on the said intelligence, the officers intercepted Phoolwala at the airport.
During the search of Phoolwala, officials recovered two packets containing gold dust embedded in wax, weighing 3,350 grams and valued at Rs 2.67 crore. She confessed that she participated in the smuggling operation because it was lucrative and carried a low risk of detection.
Phoolwala was paid Rs 10,000 for every consignment smuggled out of the CSMI airport, while Barmare received Rs 10,000 for retrieving each consignment.
Further investigation revealed that Phoolwala handed over the smuggled gold to another woman AH Sheikh, 39, a resident of Byculla. From the statements of Barmare and Phoolwala, it was learnt that Sheikh is the next person in the chain of the gold smuggling syndicate to whom Phoolwala used to deliver the smuggled gold after receiving it from Barmare. Sheikh was arrested on Friday.
Other key members of the syndicate are yet to be apprehended and all out efforts are being made in this regard.
Further, sources for the purchase of the gold, distribution of the smuggled gold, transfer of money etc is yet to be investigated. The DRI is gathering additional evidence to identify and apprehend other key members of the syndicate, which could have far- reaching implications for international security and economic stability, said a DRI source.
