BENGALURU: Two flyers, possibly operating as a gang, were held at Kempegowda International Airport for smuggling goods worth Rs 77.82 lakh from Dubai. The items include iPhones, saffron, air pods, aromatic tobacco and Cuban cigars were recovered from their possession by the Air Intelligence Unit of the Airport Customs on Monday.
The arrested women had travelled to Bengaluru by an Emirates flight (EK 564) around 9 am. The 36-year-old woman was a native of Mumbai while the 33-year-old hailed from Ahmedabad. Both had left from Mumbai on February 26 to Dubai. A top Customs official told TNIE that 30 iPhones of the latest models were smuggled by the duo. “This seizure included two phones of the 12 PRO model and 28 of the iPhone 12 MAX model. They were totally worth Rs 40,77,000.” Ten air pods worth nearly Rs 2.5 lakh were also seized.
For the first time in many months, a vast quantity of saffron has been smuggled. “A total of 57.1 kg of saffron valued at Rs 34.26 lakh were in their possession. They were brought in packets,” he said. One packet of Cuban cigars (Quintero Habana brand) valued at Rs 5,500 and 1,775 grams of tobacco (Captain Black Round Taste brand) worth Rs 24,500 were also seized from them. This specific brand is reputed for its pleasant aroma. “Based on passenger profiling, we narrowed down on the two women. Both have been arrested and released on bail,” he added.