Repeat offender caught at airport with $10,000, arrested

TNN | Updated: Nov 25, 2017, 06:13 IST




 CHENNAI: Customs officials at Chennai airport on Thursday detected two cases of currency smuggling by passengers bound to Kuala Lumpur. One passenger has been arrested.

In the first case, Thameem Ansari, 31, a frequent flyer, was intercepted after he was cleared for immigration on a flight bound for Kuala Lumpur by Malaysian Airlines flight MH 183.

He had no check-in baggage, but when his cabin baggage was checked, foreign currency worth $10,000 equivalent to Rs 6.45 lakh was found. It was concealed inside specially stitched pockets between two layers of black cardboard which was kept inside the bag. He was carrying the currency to buy gold and smuggle it back into India. During investigations, it was found that there were four customs offence cases against him in the past.

As the cumulative value of all offences committed by him exceeded Rs 20 lakh, he was arrested under Customs Act.

Sources said businessmen are allowed to carry up to $5,000 cash but they have to show the source and also indicate the reasons for which they are carrying it. "But that was absent in this case," the source added.

In the second case, Indian currency worth Rs 2 lakh was recovered and seized from Mohammed Nazeer, 35, who was travelling to Kuala Lumpur on the same flight.

The currency was concealed inside a blue shirt and innerwear, which were kept in his hand baggage.

When questioned, he said that he was going to give the money to agents in Malaysia who would use it to pay their labourers. FEMA regulations stipulate that an Indian resident can carry only Rs 25,000 in Indian currency.