40kg gold seizure: Recognise alert worker, say staff

While the customs department had officially claimed that sleuths from the air intelligence unit had detected the gold worth over Rs.12.6 crore hidden in the rest room of the international arrival terminal in the city airport, the housekeeping staff strongly believe that the customs officials should not take credit for something they had not done.

“At least now the customs department should acknowledge contribution of the youth who was the first to inform about the locked toilet to his supervisor,” said a senior staff. The youth is attached to a firm, which has been hired for housekeeping works at the airport.

Sources noted that the carrier of 40 kg gold — who arrived from Hong Kong around 2.50 am Tuesday — must have waited for some time for a ‘conducive’ atmosphere at the customs hall to place the bag for scanning. “It is possible that smugglers’ contact, who was supposed to collect it, failed to show up. 

So the carriers left the contraband in the rest room around 5.50 am as per instruction,” said a source. The smuggler had kept the bag in one of the cubicles and latched it from inside. He then jumped over to the other cubicle and left.

Later, based on the housekeeper’s alert, the CISF broke open the door and recovered the bag containing 40 gold bars, each weighing one kg, on Tuesday. 

The bag was then handed over to the customs department. One of the sources said that the housekeeper was scared of his safety if the smuggling syndicate came to know of his involvement. “Some people working in the airport could be part of the gang as well,” said a source. “It was a huge seizure and it could have been planned with the help of an insider,” he added.

But the other housekeeping staff have just one question for the authorities, will the customs department reward the youth for his work?