Customs officials at the Mumbai Airport have arrested 20 individuals, including seven foreign nationals, in connection with a gold smuggling operation. The operation has been able to seize a total of 9.76 kg of gold, valued at Rs 6.75 crores in the last three days. The officials also recovered foreign currency worth more than Rs 88 lakhs.

The arrested individuals were caught in 20 different cases under the Customs Act, with gold converted into dust and hidden away in wax (cooled liquid wax mixed with gold dust) and crude jewellery while some were gold bars. The smugglers employed various concealment methods, including hiding the gold and currency inside the plastic (opaque) shampoo bottles, rubber sheets, and sanitary pads, into the rectum, and some onto the passengers’ bodies.