Gold bars, jewellery worth over Rs 2-cr seized from Airport’s toilet

Bengaluru, Apr 13: A baby diaper dispenser in a toilet at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) took Bengaluru Customs sleuths by surprise when they opened it during an inspection on Monday . The dispenser had gold bars and jewellery studded with diamonds and precious stones worth Rs 2.06 crore. A passenger from Tamil Nadu has been apprehended and the role of an airport `insider' is suspected.

Sources with the Air Intel ligence Unit (AIU) of the Bengaluru Customs said the officers found the booty while inspecting the airport toilets soon after the arrival of Thai AirAsia flight (FD 137) from Bangkok following a tip-off."During inspection of a diaper disperser in a restroom on Terminal 1, four blocks sealed in carbon sheets and pouch covered in duct tape were found, which had six gold biscuits of 1kg each, 2 gold rods and gold jewellery studded with diamonds and precious stones," said a Customs inves tigating officer.

The team immediately examined footages from CCTV cameras in the area and zeroed in on a middle-aged man who was spotted entering the restroom in a suspicious manner. The man, identified as Mohammed Mohideen, a 42-year-old children's goods trader from Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapu ram, was later nabbed near the immigration area. When questioned, he said that he had placed the gold bars and the ornaments inside the diaper dispenser after disembarking from the Thai aircraft, the officer added.

AIU sleuths suspect the role of an airport staff as Mohideen tried to flee after placing the smuggled gold, which an accomplice would later collect and hand over to racketeers waiting outside the airport. "We are investigating possible involvement of an airport staffer. Mohideen has claimed he had to hand over the gold to a man outside the airport but hid it in the toilet fearing Customs officials," a senior Customs officer said.

The gold bars and jewel lery weighing precisely 6.45kg were seized and Mohideen, who claimed to have travelled to Bangkok a few days ago to buy children's goods for his shop in Tamil Nadu was arrested. He was remanded to judicial custody and sent to jail later on Monday . A probe is under way into the case.