Mumbai: The DRI arrested six persons, including two Bangladeshi nationals and a staffer of Vietnam Airlines, with 7 kg of smuggled gold worth Rs 11 crore at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Three passengers who handed over the gold, too, have been arrested.The DRI received specific intelligence that Munaf Mushraf Jamadar (23), a staff member of Vietnam Airlines at CSMIA, was involved in smuggling gold and would hand over the contraband to a recipient outside the airport. His search resulted in the recovery of seven egg-shaped capsules containing gold dust in wax form. He told interrogators that he was to hand over the contraband to one person outside the airport.Munaf then identified five passengers who had handed him the gold to hand over to the person outside the airport. Munaf said that he was to get monetary benefit. These five passengers were later identified as Mohammed Abu Nasar, Mohammed Alam and Mohammed Naximuddin. All three were Bangladeshi nationals. Mohammed Mohiuddin and Mohammed Hossen were also arrested. Officials said that, in all, they recovered 16 balls containing around 7 kg of gold worth Rs 11 crore. Their lawyers Birendra Singh and Aftab Qureshi told the court that their clients were innocent and were victims of poverty. The court sent all the accused to judicial custody.
