2 passengers caught after footwear exchange in Dubai-Bengaluru flight; 1.3kg gold paste seized

News Network
September 19, 2018

Bengaluru, Sept 19: Customs officials have successfully thwarted a mid-air attempt to smuggle gold on board an Air India flight from Dubai. The episode ended with the arrest of two men and seizure of 1.32 kg of gold paste worth Rs 41.3 lakh concealed in their footwear.

The officials claimed that the modus operandi was to grind gold ornaments into a paste and conceal it in the inner lining of the footwear of one of the carriers who boarded the flight from Dubai. “It’s a novel idea devised by smugglers to evade detection after we increased vigilance,” said an official.

One passenger, identified as Samseer Ali, boarded the flight from Dubai wearing the green sandals with the gold paste hidden in the sole.

When the aircraft reached Goa, his aide Salman Faris boarded the flight and sat next to Ali. The duo arrived in Bengaluru and tried to slip away from the officials. However, following passenger profiling, customs sleuths found the two acting in a suspicious manner and detained them.

On questioning, they revealed they were smuggling gold, following which the sleuths seized the sandals Faris was wearing and cut them open to discover 1.3kg of gold paste. The duo was arrested, sources said.

Comments

Anti-Patroit
 - 
Thursday, 20 Sep 2018

if common man try to make small money then all innocient citizen of india(slaves of politices) will cry...if political party do gaint money then they become maron like above two commented person...try to grow up dude...you need money not this country...all idiots died for this country of no use..even soldier of our country get 1 lak after he dies then 10 crore for olympic metelist...people are fools..make money, live happily this is slogan from politics...people of india will be always slaves for them...

Naresh
 - 
Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018

These criminals are more creative. They are adopting new ways. 

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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