Customs Seize 5.75 Kg Gold at Mumbai Airport; Two Arrested

Mumbai, May 18 — Customs officers at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, ZONE-III, have seized 5.75 kilograms of gold valued at ₹5.10 crore in two separate smuggling incidents. Two individuals involved in the operations have been arrested, according to an official statement.

In the first case, a man employed in an airport lounge was intercepted while moving through a staff-only area in the departure terminal. Officials found six pouches containing gold dust embedded in wax, weighing 2.8 kg (net) and valued at ₹2.48 crore. The gold was reportedly handed to him by a transit passenger. He was taken into custody.

In the second incident, another individual working on a contractual basis at the airport was stopped at a staff exit point. He was found carrying six pouches of gold dust in wax hidden inside the pocket of his jacket. The net weight of the gold was 2.95 kg, with an estimated value of ₹2.62 crore. This gold, too, was believed to have been passed to him by a transit traveler. He has also been arrested.

In a separate case, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a male passenger — a Chadian national — who arrived in Mumbai from Addis Ababa on Friday, May 16. Acting on specific intelligence, officials conducted a personal search and discovered 4.015 kg of foreign-origin gold concealed inside the heels of the man’s slippers. The seized gold is worth an estimated ₹3.86 crore.

The man admitted to hiding the gold in order to bypass customs checks. He was arrested under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigations are currently underway.