Man Arrested At CSMIA For Smuggling Gold Bar Worth Rs 1.23 Crore From Bangkok

On Thursday, July 2, 2026, Mumbai Airport Customs officials arrested a 25-year-old passenger at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) for allegedly smuggling a 24Kt gold bar valued at Rs 1.23 crore from Bangkok. The arrested passenger was identified as Abdul Rahoof Mamantakath, a resident of Kozhikode, Kerala.

According to agency sources, Mamantakath had arrived at the airport from Bangkok on Thursday. Acting on specific intelligence, officers from the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) intercepted him as he was crossing the Green Channel.

Before conducting the search, officials informed Mamantakath of his legal right to be searched before either a Magistrate or a Gazetted Officer. The passenger opted to be searched in the presence of a Gazetted Officer.

During the personal search, Customs officers recovered a yellow-coloured heavy metal. A government-approved valuer subsequently examined the metal and certified it as a 24Kt gold bar weighing 1,000 grams, with a provisional valuation of Rs 1.23 crore.

Because the passenger did not declare the gold, authorities seized the entire quantity under the provisions of the Customs Act, believing it had been smuggled into the country in a clandestine manner.

Customs officials recorded a voluntary statement from Mamantakath, in which he admitted to attempting to smuggle the gold to evade paying the applicable customs duty and to avoid detection by airport authorities.

A Customs officer stated that the investigation is currently in its preliminary stage, with further efforts underway to uncover a larger smuggling network.

Meanwhile, Mamantakath's advocate, Ravi Hirani, maintained his client's innocence. Hirani claimed that the bag containing the gold was given to Mamantakath by a neighbour to deliver to his family, and that his client had no knowledge of the hidden gold, alleging he was made a scapegoat by the department.