NEW DELHI: Alert personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force at Kolkata airport recently foiled a bid by two passengers to smuggle currency worth approximately Rs 1.14 crore in US dollars to Bangkok by concealing them in the false bottoms of their hand baggage.
The incident took place at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on October 19.
According to the CISF, “During security screening at the International Terminal Security Hold Area around 10.20 am, a CISF screener noticed suspicious images in the X-ray scan of the hand baggage of two passengers scheduled to travel to Bangkok by Bhutan Airlines flight B3700. The baggage was referred for physical checking.”
During the subsequent physical examination, CISF personnel recovered USD 1,19,900, equivalent to approximately Rs 1,13,64,002, concealed in the false bottoms of the two bags. “The currency had been wrapped in newspaper. Of the total amount, USD 74,900 was recovered from one passenger’s hand baggage, while USD 45,000 was recovered from the other passenger’s bag,” they said.
Following the prescribed formalities, both passengers, along with the recovered foreign currency, were handed over to the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs for further necessary action.
The passenger, who carried the bulk of the currency notes, was taken by the Air Intelligence Unit of Customs to the District and Sessions Court, for further legal proceedings. The other passenger was released by Customs after the issuance of a detention receipt for the same.