JOIN USGold biscuits worth Rs 30L seized from passenger at KIA
Customs officials seized gold biscuits weighing 1.165 kg and worth Rs 30 lakh from a passenger who had arrived from Muscat at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Wednesday evening.
The passenger has been identified as Mohammad Raffi Shaik, 40, who arrived by an Oman Air flight. After profiling the passenger, the customs officials detained him on suspicion. His baggage was subjected to a detailed examination, which revealed concealment of gold biscuits in a speaker system.
During inquiry, Shaik said he was employed as a ‘helper’ at a metal fabrication unit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He hails from Simhadripuram in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh and had been to the Gulf in search of employment a year ago. Since his employer was not paying him regularly, he found it difficult to make ends meet or remit money to his family back home. He planned to return to India, but his contract was for a period of two years and his passport was in the possession of his employer. Shaik managed to obtain an emergency certificate from the Indian embassy and returned. In the meantime, he met an acquaintance who hailed from Andhra Pradesh.
Concealed in the speaker
The latter offered Shaik a free ticket to India if he was willing to carry a few gold biscuits that would be concealed in the speaker.
He was informed that a person would contact him at KIA, to whom he should hand over the consignment. Shaik agreed to the deal as he was cash-strapped. Shaik was arrested, produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.