DIR bust gold smuggling racket; nab one at Mangalore Airport, two at Mumbai Airport

[email protected] (News Network)
April 21, 2013
Mangalore, Apr 21: Sleuths of Directorate Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted part of a four-member gang of international-domestic gold smugglers arresting three of them and recovered 500 grams of gold worth Rs 12.5 lakh from them on Sunday.

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While one passenger was arrested at Mangalore International Airport, air intelligence unit personnel at Mumbai nabbed two others based on information given by DRI at Mumbai airport and recovered gold there.

Informed sources in know of the operations of this gang told TOI that they smuggled gold in small quantities on a regular basis from the Gulf. "Gang chose flights that connect domestic stations after an overnight international trip," the sources said. Accordingly, MKP Nazar, 33, resident of Vadakara in Kerala arrived by the Jet Airways flight from Dubai that touched here this morning. This flight later took off for Mumbai by the time DRI sleuths could reach it.

The modus operandi involved Nazar concealing gold beneath the seat on the aircraft that he arrived and informing his conduit who took the same flight out to Mumbai. Nazar's friend Paivalige Mohammad Ahmed Ali took this flight to Mumbai. First to board the flight, Ahmed Ali removed the gold concealed by Nazar and occupied his seat. "This is being done as there is no checking for contraband gold on passengers coming in domestic flights," sources said.

At Mumbai, Ahmed Ali teamed up with Kunhi Abdulla who had come there to receive him. It was here that the air intelligence personnel nabbed them and recovered five gold biscuits from Ali. Incidentally, Nazar had brought the routine complement of electronic and other items from Dubai. "We have information that such gangs are operating using other domestic airports that have connecting international flights such as Goa, and Lucknow," sources maintained.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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