By Aarit Gupta
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport became the epicentre of a smuggling attack this week. The attack was however obstructed by customs officials who arrested two men with 1.5 kilograms of gold dust hidden inside wax blocks that they carried with them.
Air Intelligence Unit Officers had already been keeping a lookout for suspicious activity in the departure area of Terminal 2 where the incident took place. One of the suspects who was arrested later was stopped near a washroom after his jittery behaviour raised suspicion. A search then led to the recovery of four wax-coated pieces which as found by officers container pure gold dust.
The arrested men were identified as Vikram Bane who is an airport employee working with a private agency and Mohammad Morshedul Alam who is a Bangladeshi national. Officials believe the involvement of an insider played a major role in moving the gold through secure airport zones without drawing suspicion.
During questioning, Alam confessed to the investigators that he was carrying the gold for someone else who had orchestrated the whole smuggling plan. It was also reported that Bane agreed to collect the package in return for a small amount of money according to him.
Authorities are now trying to locate the main organisers behind the operation.
According to customs officers, smuggling of gold continues to remain a major problem at Indian Airports. Illegal trade has become an easy way for criminal groups to make quick profits due to increasing gold prices and import duties. Smugglers have started using different methods over the years which range from hiding gold in wax, electronics and clothing to involving airport staff and transit passengers.
Officials said surveillance has been tightened and intelligence-based checks will be carried out more regularly now. Smuggling networks however keep changing their techniques keeping enforcement at a constant battle.
Both men have been booked under customs laws and remain in police custody as investigations continue. Authorities are hopeful that the next line of questioning will lead to the identification of the main racket involved in the case and other smuggling cases.