The arrested individuals have been identified as Himanshu Upadhyay, 25, a resident of Bhandup; Mohid Hasan Siddiqui, 32, and Firoz Syed, 47, both residents of Kurla; and Philippine nationals Lakim Alimudin Naser, 35, Benny Lloyd Olivo, 35, and Christine Joy Andaya Pornasdoro, 35.
During questioning, the arrested passengers told DRI officials that they were working for an organized gold smuggling syndicate. According to their statements, the network allegedly smuggled gold into Mumbai through transit passengers arriving from Dubai and Bangkok with the help of certain individuals employed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
The latest operation comes amid the DRI's intensified campaign against international smuggling networks. Earlier, the Mumbai Zonal Unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence carried out a major operation against narcotics trafficking at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and seized 2.128 kilograms of cocaine. The seized narcotics are estimated to be worth approximately Rs 10.65 crore in the international market.
According to the DRI, the operation was launched on July 5 following specific intelligence inputs indicating that a female passenger arriving in Mumbai from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, via Nairobi, could be involved in drug trafficking. Acting on the information, DRI officials intercepted the passenger immediately after her arrival in India for detailed examination.
During the preliminary inspection, the woman's trolley bag was scanned using an X-ray machine. The scan revealed suspicious material concealed inside the metallic handle of the luggage. Officers then dismantled and cut open the metal handle, leading to the recovery of 17 cylindrical packets that had been carefully hidden inside.
The recovered substance was tested using a field testing kit and was confirmed to be cocaine. Following the discovery, DRI officials immediately took the accused into custody. Further investigation into the case is currently underway.
The back-to-back operations underscore the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence's ongoing efforts to dismantle international smuggling networks using Mumbai's airport as a transit point for the illegal movement of gold and narcotics. The investigations are continuing to identify the full extent of the syndicate and the alleged involvement of individuals facilitating such operations.
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