Gold smuggled as date seeds from Sharjah; Kasargod man arrested at Pune airport

December 18, 2013

Pune, Dec 18: Officials of the Customs Department have recovered gold hidden in dates from a man who landed at the Pune International Airport from Sharjah on Sunday morning.

The suspect has been identified as Ismail Mohammed Faisal (21) of Kasargod, who worked in Abu Dhabi.

A team of Customs Department led by Deputy Commissioner M V Badari Prasad held Ismail at the airport over suspicion. The sleuths frisked him and put his bags under scanning machines. It was revealed that one of the bags carried small gold pieces.

During further checks, the sleuths found dates wrapped in a bag. It was found that seeds of these dates were replaced with gold beads wrapped in black packets. The gold beads weighing 409 grams are worth Rs 12.5 lakh.

Ismail's interrogation revealed that he wanted to deliver the gold beads to a man in Mumbai. Investigation is on to find out more about the Mumbai-based person and whether such transactions were done earlier.

Additional Commissioner of Customs Department Gopinath said smuggling gold in dates is a new modus operandi and a thorough investigation will be done to get to the root of the racket.

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Mangaluru’s public transport revolution: 100 new govt electric buses to end private ‘trip-cutting’

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

• Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

• State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

• Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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