The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence on Saturday seized gold worth ₹1.39 crore along with other contraband that was allegedly being smuggled through the Air Cargo Complex at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. One person has been arrested in connection with the case.
According to DRI officers, the seizure was made based on a tip-off, which said gold and other contraband were going to be smuggled through the airport.
“Acting on the information received, our officers intercepted a cargo consignment that had arrived from Hong Kong via Colombo. It had been declared as machine parts and crankshafts in the manifest. However, we found three hollow cylindrical pistons,” a DRI officer said.
The pistons were found to contain gold and a dark metallic powder suspected to the iridium, an expensive metal used to increase the weight of gold. “The pistons contained five kg of gold worth ₹1.39 crore. The powder weighs 1.5 kg and would be worth ₹30 lakh if it does turn out to be iridium,” the officer said.
The DRI team subsequently apprehended a real estate agent, identified as Balamurugan Pillai, who was waiting outside the Air Cargo Complex to receive the consignment. “We have learned that someone with access to the security area of the Air Cargo Complex would identify the consignment, remove the contraband and hand it over to Pillai. He has admitted to having received contraband from this person several times in the past. We have arrested Pillai and are in the process of identifying and apprehending his accomplice,” the officer added.
