Smuggler robbed of Rs 50 lakh gold by men posing as ATS officials

Ahmedabad: A 21-year-old from Vadodara who smuggled gold worth about Rs 50 lakh from Dubai by hiding it in his rectum was allegedly robbed by two individuals posing as Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) soon after he came out of Ahmedabad international airport.

Danish Shaikh, 21, a daily wager, has said in the FIR that about two months ago his friend Zakir Bora offered him tickets and accommodation along with Rs 20,000 cash to go to Dubai to smuggle gold from another person identified named Ammar.

On October 10, Shaikh flew to Dubai and after staying for 17 days he got back with two gold capsules weighing 850 grams worth Rs 50 lakh. He concealed the capsules in his rectum to dodge customs officials.

On October 27, he landed at Ahmedabad airport and successfully dodged the customs officials. He was supposed to be picked up by one Raiyan. However, he was received by one Aftab and Mubin, the driver of the car which was to take them to Vadodara.

Soon after they came out of the parking lot, two unidentified persons stopped them while identifying themselves as ATS officials. They sat in the car and made them drive to Narol. From there, Shaikh was made to sit in another car and taken to a flat in a ten-storied building where they forced him to enter the toilet to get the gold capsules.

Police officials said that Shaikh and his friends informed the police a few days later. A team of ATS investigated the claims and apprehended four individuals involved in the incident.

The actual ATS team recovered Rs 22 lakh which the suspects still had in their possession after selling the gold for Rs 50 lakh. Later, personnel from the airport police station where the FIR has been lodged arrested a woman, Mumtaz Shaikh, from Juhapura who is alleged to have been involved too.

Other arrested accused have been identified as Harun Shaikh (42), Mohsin Pathan (38), Nadeem Pathan (31), all residents of Ahmedabad and Ayub Tai (47), a resident of Veraval in the Gir-Somnath district.

Police said that the suspects had information about Danish Shaikh smuggling gold from Dubai and therefore planned to rob him while posing as ATS officials. The suspects believed that no complaint would be filed since they were robbing smuggled goods.