3 min readMumbaiApr 26, 2023 03:07 PM IST
First published on: Apr 26, 2023 at 01:43 AM IST
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Mumbai offiicals have arrested 18 Sudanese nationals, all women, for allegedly smuggling gold from Sharjah and Dubai to Mumbai in three different international flights, and seized 16.3 kg gold. An Indian member of the racket has also been arrested from a hotel in the city.
Based on specific intelligence, DRI officials on Monday night intercepted 18 Sudanese nationals from three international flights that landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The women, mostly aged between 30-45 years, had allegedly concealed the gold in their luggage in wax and jewelry form, sources said. Examination of the foreigners and their luggage resulted in recovery of 16 kg gold worth approximately Rs 10 crore.
The foreigners were taken into custody. Their interrogation led DRI officials to a Masjid bunder based hotel AK Khidmat from where agency officials arrested one Indian member of the gold smuggling syndicate, identified as Suhail Poonawala, 23, a resident of Grant Road.
Suhail’s role was to collect the smuggled gold from these foreigners and hand it over to next chain in the racket. The smuggled gold would later be sold in Mumbai’s gold market, sources said.
DRI officials are further interrogating Suhail for more details on other members of the racket.
DRI sources believed that the accused foreigners are conduits acting as carriers for a promised commission. All the accused have been arrested under sections of Customs Act for for gold smuggling. Their passports have been seized by the central agency.
During the operation DRI also raided a premises and 1.46 kg of additional gold worth Rs 86 lakh, and foreign and Indian currency worth a total Rs 1.04 crore have been seized in the followers up action.
The arrested Sudanese nationals have been identified as— Yamn Abdin, Rehab Saeed, Ibrahim Ismail, Sharif Suliman, Raja Mohammed Ali, Soaad Saber, Sawsan Salih, Marvait Amain, T. Salih, Nadia Gnu, Fnu abakar, Magda Mohemdali, Fnu Ishag, Fnu Zainelabdin, Widad Khalil Asar, Lodan Ahmed Salih, Fnu Mashair Fadlala and Buthina Hussain.
The accused foreign nationals arrived in India via three flights of Air Arabia and Emirates airlines on Monday. The Sundanese women were instructed to hand over the gold to Suhail at the Masjid hotel.
The accused brought gold into India without declaring it, thus evading applicable customs duty on the imported gold. Sources said the accused women also got violent with DRI officials and did not cooperate in the probe.
During the operation DRI also raided a premises and 1.46 kg of additional gold worth Rs 86 lakh, and foreign and Indian currency worth a total Rs 1.04 crore have been seized in the followers up action. (Express photo) 
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