Chennai air customs seize foreign currency worth Rs 1.04 crore; one arrested

74000 USD in 100 denominations worth Rs 53.5 lakh were seized under the Customs Act.

Chennai: The air customs officials at the Chennai airport have seized foreign currency worth Rs 1.04 crore and arrested one person. Based on intelligence that currency was likely to be smuggled out of India by passengers bound for Dubai by Indigo flight 6E 65, air intelligence officers maintained a strict vigil at departure terminal to intercept them. 

Six passengers namely Mansoor Ali Khan, 27, Yakalik, 68, Thameem Ansari, 49, Mohamad Hussain, 30, and Yousuf, 67, all from Chennai and Abdul Rahman, 38, from Pudur, were intercepted after they had cleared Immigration and were proceeding towards security hold area. 

Their personal search, as well as the search of their hand baggage and backpacks, was also carried out. 

On examination of their backpacks, several power banks were found hidden inside. The power banks appeared to be heavy and were broken by a hammer and foreign currency notes were recovered which were concealed inside. Foreign currency was also recovered from the pockets of their backpacks. 

74000 USD in 100 denominations worth Rs 53.5 lakh, 150000 Saudi Riyals in 500 denomination worth Rs 28.3 lakh, and 25000 Euros in the denomination of 200 worth Rs 22.2 lakh, totally equivalent to Rs 1.04 crore were recovered and seized under the Customs Act read with Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) Regulations, 2015. 

Thameem Ansari whose individual seizure value crossed Rs 20 lakh was arrested.

Further investigation is under progress.​