Gold worth Rs 2 crore, Rs 7.5 lakh cash seized in Mumbai

Customs officials said they first seized 7.378 kgs of gold having foreign markings, crude gold, gold coins

Mumbai, Nov 26: The Air Intelligence Unit today seized gold worth around Rs 2 crore and cash amounting to Rs 7.5 lakh at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here and arrested a person, officials said.

"We have seized gold worth Rs 1,99,99,692 and cash Rs 7.5 lakh including 350 notes of the newly introduced Rs 2,000," a Customs official said.

Customs officials said they first seized 7.378 kgs of gold having foreign markings, crude gold, gold coins and assorted gold jewellery and cash from an unclaimed trolley bag left behind by a passenger sensing the presence of customs officials in a plane which arrived from Raipur.

When the passenger Navratan Golechha approached the airways staff for delivery, he was apprehended by customs and later arrested, officials said. Sources said the documents showed that he purchased the gold from Durg and wanted to sell it in Zaveri Market here.

"He is simply the carrier. We are in process of identifying the mastermind," they said. They said since there is liquidity crunch in the market, people are trying to sell gold in the market. A court remanded Golechha in judicial custody till December 9.

PTI