Trio runs out of luck while stealing gold at airport

During probe, police stumble upon racket of gold smuggling

The police have busted a gang which used to hide gold bars in garbage bins removed from aircraft at the airport and deliver them to smugglers waiting outside.

The police took up investigation on a complaint from A. Saravanan, 30, of Chrompet, who was an employee of a catering contractor.

Saravanan reportedly told the police that while he was riding his bike at 4 a.m. on August 23, a gang waylaid and robbed him of two-and-a-half sovereigns of gold jewellery, cash and mobile phone. On scrutiny of CCTV footage from the place of crime, the police nabbed Saravanan’s colleagues Mohammed Nazir, 25, and Prabu Ram, 27, both of Pallikaranai. They were contract staff who cleared garbage from the aircraft.

During investigation, police realised that Saravanan and his friends staged a robbery to hoodwink the person supposed to receive the consignment and steal 9 kg gold belonging to Imran Khan. The three used to carry gold from the aircraft outside the airport avoiding Customs officers in the airport.

Saravanan brought 9 kg gold belonging to Imran Khan from the airport. Later, the three pretended as if the gold had been stolen.

Police investigation revealed the

modus operandi of the gang. Since the three worked at the airport, they had relatively free access. The smugglers would hide gold bars in the seats before the departure of a flight from overseas destinations.

On the pretext of collecting garbage from the aircraft, Saravanan, Mohammed Nazir and Prabhu Ram would collect the contraband, and hide them in garbage bins, avoiding detection by authorities. The police are searching for others involved in the smuggling racket. Nine kg gold and a cellphone were seized from the accused.