Customs seize foreign currency worth over Rs 8.36 cr at Mumbai airport
Feb 23, 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 23 : Foreign currency worth USD 10 lakh or over Rs 8.36 crore was seized by Mumbai Airport Customs and Central Industrial Security Force, the officials said.
The seizure made on February 20 this year came to light on Thursday.
Acting on a tip-off, an Indian-origin-US national was intercepted at Mumbai airport on February 20.
The identity of the accused was not revealed till the filing of the report.
"During the search, foreign currency worth 10 lakh valued at Rs 8. 36 crores were recovered from his possession concealed in a handbag," the official informed.
The Customs department seized gold and foreign currency worth crores from different passengers at the Mumbai airport, on February 10, the officials said.
According to the Customs officials, the department seized 2.8-kilogram gold worth Rs 1.44 crore from the possession of three passengers coming from Sharjah, Bahrain and Dubai.
In January, Custom officials seized altogether six kg of heroin and cocaine worth over Rs 47 crore were seized in two separate cases at the Mumbai airport.
The officials said that the Heroin was concealed in documents folder covers whereas cocaine was in clothes buttons.
The Mumbai Airport Customs seized 1.3 kgs of cocaine valued at Rs 13 crore at the Mumbai International Airport in September 2022. The police arrested one passenger from Ghana who was intercepted on August 28. According to the information received from the police, the accused had concealed cocaine drugs inside his stomach. The accused was taken to the hospital and 87 capsules were recovered from his stomach.
In March 2022, an African national was arrested at Mumbai airport after the customs department seized from her 8 kg of heroin worth Rs 56 crore in the international market, an official said.
The woman was found carrying some white powder, which when examined turned out to be heroin.
