Undeclared diamond lands trader in lock-up

Being one of the board of directors of a leading company which manufactures and exports diamond-studded gold jewellery does not seem to have been enough to satiate the greed of Nihar Mehta.

What could otherwise explain the reason for him having been caught red handed by the custom officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport for attempted duty evasion?

Intercepted by a team led by Assistant Commissioner Sameer Wankhede, Mehta was found hiding over 70 pieces of diamond jewellery worth Rs16 lakh in his overcoat.

“On his way back from his business tour to Europe,  Mehta was arrested and remanded to judicial custody till September 23 by the court,” said a senior custom official.

Explaining that Mehta has been regular in jewellery export, the official said: “Amongst the board of directors of Bombay Jewellery Manufacturers, Mehta also has a unit with the Precious Cargo Clearance Customs Cell (PCCCC) in Bandra Kurla Complex where jewellery is sent for evaluation by the Customs. Mehta has been exporting jewellery to many diverse markets in the US as well as the UK,  France, Italy, Germany and other member countries of the European Union.”

According to sources, in a smart move, initially Mehta declared jewellery worth Rs44,000 in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

The jewellery was sealed and detained to be sent to the warehouse from where a Customs escort would get it cleared the day after. However, an uncomfortable body language and the sweating forehead of Mehta gave away his secret.

“It was evidently strange for Mehta to sport a long overcoat while it was relatively hot and he was sweating profusely,” said a source.

According to Customs officials, a frequent flier Mehta has made 18 visits between 2010 and 2011 and it cannot be ruled out that he would have indulged in similar acts earlier. “Mehta admitted that it was his first attempt,” said the officer.