Three months after the Air Intelligence Unit arrested two persons, including a staffer of Kenyan Airways and seized 22.8 kg gold worth Rs 6 crore from Grand Hyatt hotel, the Customs officials have arrested a Mumbai-based taxer and jeweller for smuggling the gold.
The accused have been identified as Manish Jain, owner of Manish gold, and Ibrahim Mohamed Hussain Khatri of Khatri Import and Export Traders.
According to the police, Khatri would arrange the carriers and would buy the gold from foreign to smuggle it in India for Jain who would then sell it here. The accused have so far smuggled gold worth Rs 9 crore.
"Khatri and Jain have so far purchased, sold and smuggled around 35 kg of gold and have been booked under the Customs Act. We found their involvement during the interrogation of the Kenyan nationals," said an AIU official.
In February, 2018, the AIU officials had arrested two Kenyan nationals from a five-star hotel located in the city's suburbs. 22.8 kilograms of gold worth Rs 6 crore approximately was recovered from their possession.
The accused were identified as Abdala Ali, 35, and Ibrahim Ali Hussein, who were crew members of the Kenyan airline. A Customs official had said that Abdala Ali had arrived from Kenya and had carried the gold in his trousers. Abdala had concealed 156 gold biscuits in specially-made kneecaps and a waist belt which were worn by him under his trousers.
On Abdala's arrival, the AIU officials profiled him and got suspicious over his body language and behaviour, and followed him. They recovered the gold concealed under the trousers during a body frisk.
"We told Abdali to deliver the gold where he was asked to deliver it so that we could catch the receive red-handed. When he went to a five-star hotel where his accomplice Ibrahim was present to collect the gold. Ibrahim was already staying in the hotel room and was waiting for the delivery. We took the help of the officers from the Sahar Police Station and lay a trap to raid and nab both of them," AIU official had said.
IN PLAIN SIGHT...
One of the accused Kenyan national had carried the gold from Kenya in his trousers. The other one had concealed 156 gold biscuits in specially-made kneecaps and a waist belt
