BENGALURU: In the first five days of August, customs sleuths of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) cracked three cases of gold smuggling and seized more than 1.8 kg of gold worth more than Rs 50 lakhs.
In the first case, on Friday evening, customs sleuths foiled an attempt to smuggle gold to the tune of 800 grams valued at Rs 23,53,600.
The accused smuggler, Ashfaque Ahmed Kakde, 50, arrived at KIA from Dubai on Friday evening. Customs officials detained the passenger and on interrogation got contradictory statements from him. His baggage was then subjected to detailed examination. When his check-in luggage was searched, customs sleuths found gold rods hidden inside the hollow part of a fruit juicer.
Kakde, a native of Bhatkal, stated that he ran a trading business of fast-moving consumer goods in Dubai. Kakde's friend from Bhatkal allegedly requested him to deliver the goods to another friend of his at Bhatkal, for which his round-trip tickets were taken care of and Kakde was also assured of a commission upon his return to Dubai.
The accused has been arrested and further investigation into the case is on.
In another case, Farhana Begum, 35, was apprehended when she arrived from Bangkok on Thursday evening. She had 4 gold biscuits, 100 grams each, concealed in her undergarment. The value of the gold was Rs 11,80,000.
Farhana, hailing from Bengaluru and a Class X dropout, had earlier worked at a call centre and thereafter changed her profession as a baby sitter. A mother of two and a divorcee, Farhana was unable to make ends meet. At the behest of her friend, she left for Bangkok in search of a job. Her friend, however, couldn't get her a job immediately and instead asked Farhana to carry the gold back to Bengaluru for a reward of Rs. 10,000.
The third case involves one Inshaf Mohammed of Sri Lanka who was detained by Custom sleuths when he landed in KIA from Colombo.
Sleuth, after profiling and extensively searching Mohammed, found out that he had concealed 3 gold wires weighing 511 grams, in the inner lining of his suitcase. The value of the gold retrieved was Rs 15,15,115.
In Sri Lanka, the passenger was in the trading business of ready-made garments procured from India. In his statement, he mentioned that he was requested by a contact who had given him the gold to be handed over to a person waiting outside Bengaluru airport for an amount of Rs. 10,000.