26-Year-Old Man and Unaware Wife Caught Smuggling ₹1.25 Crore Gold in Rectum at Mumbai Airport
26-Year-Old Man and Unaware Wife Caught Smuggling ₹1.25 Crore Gold in Rectum at Mumbai Airport
Mumbai: A 26-year-old man from Surat, identified as Mohammad Wasif Tahirali Shaikh, was arrested by Mumbai Airport Customs officials for allegedly smuggling gold worth ₹1.25 crore into India. The smuggling attempt involved concealing gold in his wife’s rectum without her knowledge.
The couple had returned from a trip to Bangkok when customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) intercepted them at the aerobridge after they crossed the Green Channel. An Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officer questioned them about carrying any dutiable goods, contraband, or gold, but they denied having any such items. However, based on suspicion, a personal search and X-ray screening were conducted, revealing six pieces of gold dust concealed in wax (three pieces each) inside their bodies. The total weight of the seized gold was 1,530 grams.
Customs officials seized the gold under provisions of the Customs Act, suspecting it was being smuggled into India clandestinely to evade import duty. According to agency sources, Shaikh admitted to smuggling the gold and stated that he was offered ₹40,000 by a man named Ali Bhai for successfully transporting it. He further claimed that his wife, Ruhin, was unaware of the smuggling operation and had merely followed his instructions, believing they were on a leisure trip to Bangkok.
Following the seizure, Shaikh was arrested on Wednesday, and further investigations are underway.
