Mumbai: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs department on Sunday arrested a 35-year-old man at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle out over ₹44.18 lakh in foreign currency notes. The accused has, in his questioning, identified the source and the receiver of the notes.
According to AIU officials, the accused, Sayyed Ali (35), is a native of Dakshin Kannada district in Karanataka, and runs a printing business in Sharjah. He was in line for an Air India Express flight to Sharjah when he was taken aside for a search. “Our officers found $5,000 hidden in his socks and on searching his bags, some more notes in Euros and Pounds were found under a plastic sheet. The collective value of the notes comes up to ₹44,18,803,” said Pradnyasheel Jumle, Deputy Commissioner, AIU, Mumbai.
The notes were seized under provisions of the Customs Act, and Mr. Ali was arrested. “He said that he had reached Mumbai on Sunday morning, after which he went to a hotel. There, a man identified as Salaam met him and left with his bag. He returned in the evening with his bag, in which he had concealed the foreign notes and gave him a further $5,000 to hide in his socks. He was to deliver it to one Salim from Dubai,” said Mr. Jumle.
Mr. Salaam and another suspect from Mumbai were also calling Mr. Ali when he was being questioned by the AIU. When Mr. Ali told them about his detention, the suspects allegedly told him to declare only the $5,000 and claim that he did not have any more. The AIU, based on Mr. Ali’s call records, is working on tracing Mr. Salaam and his accomplice in Mumbai. Mr. Ali was granted bail, and has been issued a summons asking him to present himself before the AIU for inquiries on Saturday.
