Mumbai, May 4: Zakia Wardak, the consul general of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, was caught at Mumbai Airport by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials. The Afghan official was reportedly trying to smuggle 25 kilogrammes of gold from Dubai to India. According to the officials, the latter hid the gold in her personalised jackets and other items. The discovered gold had a value of Rs 18.6 crore. A complaint of gold smuggling under the Customs Act, 1962, was also filed by the DRI officials. Nevertheless, a media report stated that Wardak was exempt from arrest due to her diplomatic immunity.

Wardak was holding a diplomatic passport issued by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan during the incident. For the unversed, the Indian law mandates that only when the value of the smuggled gold exceeds Rs 1 crore can the suspect be taken into custody and charged with a crime. Gold Smuggling in Mumbai: Fast-Food Joint Staffer Allegedly Ferries Smuggled Gold out of CSMIA, Arrested by AIU Officials.

Here's How Wardak Was Intercepted

On April 25, at around 5:45 pm, 58-year-old Wardak boarded an Emirates flight from Dubai to Mumbai with his son. The mother-son pair travelled via the green lane, signifying that they had no items that required customs declaration. The DRI officials stopped them as they started to move towards the airport's exit. Gold Weighing 31.7 Kg Worth Rs 19 Crore Seized in Pan-India Operation, 11 Arrested.

When the authorities arrived, they discovered that the pair had five trolley bags, a neck pillow, one handbag and one sling bag. All of the baggage, nevertheless, was devoid of any labels or markings designating its diplomatic standing. The officials then looked through their suitcases and cleared them. When the officials discovered gold on Wardak, a woman official led her to a different room for a pat-down checking. Wardak was asked by the officials to present any documentation proving her rightful ownership of the gold that originated abroad, but she could not do so. The recovered gold was seized by the authorities, and the diplomat was let to depart.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 04, 2024 03:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).