In a swift and decisive operation, Chennai Customs officials have dismantled a sophisticated gold smuggling racket operating within the airport premises. The gang, which utilized a shop as a front for their illicit activities, managed to smuggle 267 kg of gold worth Rs. 167 crore over the past two months. Among the nine individuals arrested is YouTuber Sabir Ali, who owns the implicated shop, and two transit passengers.
The racket was uncovered when customs officials intercepted a shop employee on suspicion. A thorough search revealed three bundles of gold in paste form concealed in his rectum. Upon interrogation, it was discovered that the gold had been handed to him by a transit passenger from Sri Lanka. Further investigation revealed a larger network involving transit passengers and the owners and staff of a souvenir shop within the airport premises.
Customs officials determined that smugglers based in Sri Lanka had rented the Airhub shop in the International Departure area of the Anna International Airport terminal through Sabir Ali. Ali had entered into a contract with M/s Vidvedaa PRF, the agency engaged by the Airport Authority of India to rent space inside the airport.
According to a release from Customs, the shop served as a front for receiving smuggled gold from transit passengers and passing it to receivers through the shop’s employees. The investigation revealed a well-oiled modus operandi run by a professional gold smuggling syndicate.
Srinivas Naik, Principal Commissioner of Customs at Chennai Airport, stated in the release, “Sabir Ali, the shop owner, paid a substantial sum to Vidvedaaa PRG, the third-party agency engaged by the Airports Authority of India, two months ago. He established a souvenir shop as a front and employed seven youngsters to manage the shop. The employees were instructed to sneak in the smuggled gold handed over to them by Sri Lanka-bound transit passengers. The gold would exchange hands in the lavatory and be handed over to receivers outside the airport. Since the employees carried identity cards provided by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, they were not subjected to physical frisking by security personnel.”
The release further detailed that the transit passenger who handed over the gold, along with the shop owner and other staff members, were arrested, remanded, and sent to judicial custody. The operation highlighted the sophisticated methods employed by the smugglers and the extensive planning involved in their activities.
Based on statements of the arrested persons and inquiries as well verification of their phone conversation , customs officials have confirmed the gang had smuggled 267 kg of gold worth Rs.167 crore in two months. The gold arrived from Gulf countries as well as Singapore.
Officials said “ they suspect the gold smuggling gang stationed in Chennai, Sri Lanka and abroad might have jointly funded Sabir Ali to rent a shop inside the airport so that they could smuggle gold without getting noticed by the customs and other agencies. The workers have been trained to hide the gold in powder form in their rectum so as to avoid getting caught by the scanner. It is a well oiled network and well executed plan. All the nine –Sabir Ali, seven of his employees and transit passenger were remanded in judicial custody . Now they focus the probe to find out the master mind and others involved in the racket or people behind it.
In a related incident took place on 24th June, officials seized a gold chain and a gold bangle of 22K purity weighing 710 gm valued at Rs 44.53 lakh from her. She had concealed the gold in her undergarments. Similarly, on 15th June a woman who reached Chennai from Malaysia was intercepted by the AIU officers. Upon a search of her person, two gold chains of 24K purity weighing 900 gm valued at Rs 56.38 lakh were recovered. The accused passenger was arrested for not declaring the gold in possession. on 25th four pouches containing gold paste were found by AIU in a bag handed over by airline staff of Air Arabia. The bag was left behind on flight from Abu Dhabi. A gold ingot of 24K purity weighing 1,056 gm valued at Rs 66.23 lakh was extracted from the paste.
Chennai airport has become a hub for gold smuggling with passengers coming from gulf countries, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka smuggle gold in innovative methods that can’t be easily detected by human and machines. The syndicate uses Kuruvi mostly youngsters who were paid sums ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 for smuggling the gold. Their air fare, sight-seeing , stay and food expenses will be taken care by the syndicate but on return they have to carry the gold or other things and deliver it to the persons specifically named with code words. In a recent arrest it was found all the carriers arrested were men who are in the age group of 20-40, while one is as young as 19. The gold was also found in capsule form and hidden inside the rectum. One of the arrested had concealed it inside a specially designed belt worn on his jeans.
