Passenger, RGIA ground staffer held for smuggling

Hyderabad: DRI officials arrested a passenger and a ground handling staffer of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, who tried to smuggle gold biscuits by concealing them in cigarette packets on Saturday.  The DRI officials said that the gold weighing around 4.5 kg would cost Rs 1.2 crore.

The staffer is an employee of Menzies Bobba Ground Handling Services at the airport, while the passenger had arrived from Dubai on a Qatar Airways flight early in the morning. “After arrival, the passenger handed over the bag to the ground handling staffer to smuggle it outside. Based on intelligence officers from Hyderabad Zonal unit intercepted both the passenger and the staffer,” said DRI additional DG M.K. Singh. The DRI found 40 cigarette packets with gold biscuits concealed inside.

Both accused people were sent to judicial custody after being produced before a Special judge for Economic offences at Nampally. Airport staffers had been involved in smuggling earlier also. “This is yet another case where personnel employed with agencies functioning at the airport has been found to be involved in smuggling gold,” said Mr M.K. Singh.  

In July 2014 customs officials had arrested two Airport Passenger Support Services Employees when they were smuggling gold in wheelchairs. In April, an off-duty flight stewardess of Emirates Airlines was caught with 13 kg of gold.