Team Herald
VASCO: Customs officials on Wednesday recovered 696 gms of gold bars worth Rs 19.20 lakh, which were abandoned in a Dubai-Goa-Bangalore Air India flight after its arrival at Dabolim airport.
According to the information, during the arrival of the flight AI-994, the officers of Air Intelligence Unit of Goa Customs headed by Assistant Commissioner, under the supervision of G B Santimano Additional Commissioner of Customs, Goa rummaged the aircraft and found a small pouch containing six ten tola gold bars weighing 696 gms from un-occupied seat pocket of the aircraft. The officers of Air Intelligence Unit inquired about the ownership of gold from the passengers but since nobody claimed the ownership, the same was seized.
“It is a common practice adopted by the gold smugglers to outsmart the customs officers. The said gold which is valued at Rs 19.20 lakh is seized under the provisions of Sections 110 and 111 of the Customs Act 1962. The whole exercise was conducted under the guidance of R Manohar, Commissioner of Customs Goa. Further investigation is in progress,” said Santimano.
