JOIN USIGI customs nab five with 40,000 memory cards
Five people, including three employees of private firms involved in maintenance work, were on Saturday arrested by Customs officials at Indira Gandhi International Airport here for allegedly smuggling memory cards worth over Rs 1 crore in two separate cases.
Acting on an intelligence input, Air Customs officials arrested Ravi Kumar of Sonipat in Haryana, with 32,030 memory cards of 2GB and 8GB with a market value of about Rs 85 lakh.
Kumar, who arrived from Hong Kong, has adopted a modus operandi of dropping the memory cards in the dustbin of the washroom meant for passengers at aerobridge area, the officials said.
“While passing through the green channel, he was diverted and his baggage was scanned and the polythene bag containing memory cards (of 2GB and 8GB), left behind in the washroom as part of a pre-planned operation, were retrieved,” said V K Goel, commissioner (imports and general) at IGI airport here.
Kumar’s accomplices garbage collectors Ompal and Satish Kumar, and supervisor Rajiv Kumar were also arrested for their alleged involvement.
Goel said the three accomplices were working in firms engaged by the Delhi International Airport Limited.
“We have asked DIAL to take necessary action and blacklist the firms,” the commissioner said.
The second accused
Another Sonipat resident, Pardeep Kumar, – who had also come from Hong Kong – was arrested by Custom officials for allegedly smuggling 8,356 memory cards (2GB) with a market value of about Rs 20 lakh by adopting the same modus operandi.
“While passing through the green channel, he was diverted and his baggage was scanned.
“The three packets wrapped with brown adhesive tape concealed inside containing memory cards (of 2GB), left behind in the washroom near belt no 13 in the arrival hall, on account of heightened surveillance, was retrieved,” Goel said.