Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted an international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and arrested six persons, including three staffers working at different outlets inside the airport and three Philippine nationals, after seizing more than 5 kg of smuggled gold valued at ₹7.49 crore from Bangkok.Advocate Aftab Qureshi and Prabhakar Tripathi, appearing for the three foreign nationals, said his clients were bona fide international transit passengers travelling from the Philippines to Thailand and had neither intended to enter India nor crossed immigration. They argued that the allegation of smuggling into India raises important legal questions, as they remained in transit and had not approached Customs for clearance. The court remanded them to judicial custody.According to the DRI, specific intelligence indicated that an employee of an outlet, Himanshu Upadhyay, would receive smuggled gold from another staff member and discreetly hand it over to a second employee at the airport’s P4 level. Acting on the tip-off, DRI officers intercepted Himanshu Upadhyay while he was allegedly handing over two black pouches to one Mohid Hasan Siddiqui at around 10.30 pm on Wednesday.During questioning, Upadhyay allegedly disclosed that the pouches containing gold dust concealed in wax were handed over to him by Feroz Sayyed, a store manager at Socks Express in the international departure hall. Further investigation led to the interception of three transit passengers from the Philippines — Nasser Alimudin Lakim, Christine Joy Andaya Pornasdoro and Benny Lloyd Olivo — who were allegedly carrying similar pouches for delivery as part of the same operation.A govt-approved valuer examined the seized material and certified that it contained 5,095 grams of 24-carat gold, valued at ₹7.49 crore.According to the DRI, the arrested accused admitted they were acting on the instructions of the handler of a gold smuggling syndicate. Investigators said Feroz Sayyed’s role was to collect the smuggled gold from transit passengers and pass it to Himanshu Upadhyay, who then handed it over to Mohid Siddiqui for delivery outside the airport.The three foreign nationals allegedly admitted they were recruited to smuggle gold from Dubai and Bangkok to Mumbai through transit passengers with the assistance of the arrested outlet staffers.
