Foreign currency worth Rs 6 cr seized at airport in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 19

The Amritsar customs authorities have seized foreign currency worth Rs 6.05 crore from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport here.

Meant for Dubai

• Officials seized $7,55,700 (Rs 5.95 crore), Saudi riyals 26,500 (Rs 5.43 lakh) and Omani rials and Kuwaiti dinar (Rs 4.5 lakh) from a passenger
• He was supposed to take this currency to Dubai. Before he could board the flight, he was intercepted and detained for questioning
• The suspect and his father, whom the former named, have been detained in connection with the seizure of the currency

Officials seized $7,55,700 (Rs 5.95 crore), Saudi riyals 26,500 (Rs 5.43 lakh) and Omani rials and Kuwaiti dinar (Rs 4.5 lakh) from a passenger. He was supposed to take this currency to Dubai. Before he could board the flight, scheduled for 3.30 am, he was intercepted and detained for questioning.

The suspect and his father, whom the former named, have been detained.

Though the officials did not disclose the identity of the suspect, sources said his name was Mandeep Singh, a resident of the Atta Mandi area. It is learnt that teams of the Customs and the Police departments also raided his house and shop, but nothing suspicious was found.

According to the officials, on the evening of September 18, during a security check of the baggage of outgoing international passengers, some suspicious images of items in a bag were observed on the X-ray machine by the airline staff, who alerted customs officials.

The movement of the bag was kept under observation. The passenger, after handing over the suspected bag at the airline counter as check-in baggage, proceeded for an immigration check and got his passport stamped.

The passenger was intercepted and questioned whether he was carrying any excessive Indian or foreign currency with him, but he replied in the negative.

On checking, 80 packets of foreign currency, concealed in specially made cavities in the bag, were found. The officials said the passenger could not produce any evidence regarding its lawful acquisition.

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