India: Customs foil 2 gold smuggling attempts by passengers from UAE

During a routine inspection or rummaging of a flight that had arrived from Sharjah at Mumbai airport, authorities uncovered 24 karat gold dust, which was likely being smuggled.

The customs officers at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMI) on November 26, found gold dust that was in a wax-like form. Gold dust is often smuggled in unconventional forms or disguised as another substance to evade detection.

The total weight of the seized gold dust was 4.050kg. The estimated value of the undeclared goods, based on the current market price of gold, is approximately Rs28.9 million.

In another case, customs officers at Mumbai airport caught a passenger with three gold bars, each weighing 1kg. These 24 karat bars were valued at Rs22.7 million.

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