Bid to smuggle foreign currency foiled at airport

Amritsar, December 12

A woman passenger and her accomplice were caught with illegal foreign currency worth Rs 18 lakh at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport here on Monday.

On December 11, as a woman was to board the Air India flight No. IX-191 heading to Dubai, she was intercepted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, who seized undisclosed foreign currency from her. The woman was handed over to officials of the Customs Department.

During frisking, Customs officials found foreign currency valued at Rs 18.18 lakh (including Euros worth Rs 4.10 lakh; GB pound amounting to Rs. 4.53 lakh, Australian dollars valued at Rs 7.91 and some other currencies) concealed in a pouch tied on waist of the woman passenger.

On further questioning, it was revealed that the woman passenger was part of a racket of gang involved in smuggling of foreign currency and gold. This information led to arrest of a man, who was the main person, carrying out this operation.

During interrogation of both suspects, officials came to know that foreign currency worth more than Rs 2.05 crore and gold valued at more than Rs 5 crore had been smuggled from various airports in India so far, said the Commissioner, Customs, Amritsar, Rahul Nangare.

The woman passenger and the main gang operator were arrested and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Amritsar, who sent them to two days remand of the Customs Department. Further investigation was in progress.