Alert personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) detected foreign currency worth approximately Rs 1.14 crore concealed in the hand baggage of two passengers bound for Bangkok at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata.

The detection took place around 10:20 a.m. on October 19 during routine security screening at the International Terminal Security Hold Area. A CISF screener noticed suspicious images in the X-ray scans of the hand baggage carried by the two passengers scheduled to travel to Bangkok on Bhutan Airlines flight B3700. The bags were subsequently referred for physical examination.

During the inspection, CISF personnel recovered USD 1,19,900, equivalent to approximately Rs 1,13,64,002, concealed inside false bottoms of the two bags. The foreign currency had been wrapped in newspaper in an apparent attempt to conceal it from security personnel.

Of the total amount recovered, USD 74,900 was found in the hand baggage of one passenger, while USD 45,000 was recovered from the other passenger’s bag.

Following the prescribed formalities, both passengers, along with the seized currency, were handed over to the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs for further investigation and necessary legal action.

On October 20, the passenger from whose baggage USD 74,900 was recovered was taken by AIU/Customs officials to the District and Sessions Court for further legal proceedings following the investigation and seizure. The second passenger was released by Customs after the issuance of a detention receipt for the USD 45,000 recovered from the passenger’s baggage.

CISF in a release reiterated its commitment to maintaining aviation security through effective screening procedures, alert surveillance and professional conduct by its personnel. According to officials, the detection stresses the importance of coordinated action between airport security personnel and Customs authorities in addressing suspected financial and currency-related violations.

The first tanker carrying 40,000 tonnes of Russian diesel fuel will depart in two to three days, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.

Russia is currently preparing shipments of several tankers carrying diesel fuel, Putin said during his meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg.

The fuel is for the global and US markets, Xinhua news agency reported.

Putin held a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on October 9, during which considerable attention was paid to prospects for resolving the Ukraine crisis, the Kremlin said.

On global energy developments, Russia reaffirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to US and global markets, according to the Kremlin.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed proposals for various ceasefire formats with Witkoff in Oslo, Norway, Ukraine’s state-run Ukrinform news agency reported.

The meeting was also attended by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

Speaking after the meeting, Zelensky said the talks also covered security guarantees for Ukraine and the country’s recovery.

Following the meeting, Witkoff travelled to St. Petersburg in Russia, where he met Russian leadership to discuss peace efforts.

Global energy markets have faced sustained pressure since the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East earlier this year. The conflict has triggered what the International Energy Agency termed the “largest supply disruption” in the history of global fuel markets.

Last week, US President Donald Trump said that “massive” oil, gas and mineral exploration is “getting ready” to begin in Greenland.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump suggested that experts believe the Arctic island owns an amount of “easily available oil” which is “far greater than that of almost any land, anywhere in the world.”

He did not provide any specific estimates or elaborate on the exploration plans.

Trump also said any future attack on the United States would “have to come across Greenland, where our Defence will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived.”

Trump’s remarks followed a wide-ranging deal signed in late September by the United States, Denmark and Greenland to expand the US military presence on the island.

The deal came after months of pressure from Trump, who repeatedly called for acquiring the autonomous Danish territory and did not rule out the use of military or economic means. The proposal has drawn strong opposition from NATO allies and Greenlanders.

A 27-year-old businessman was arrested by Naroda police after 0.77 grams of suspected mephedrone, valued at Rs 1,540, was found in a parcel being delivered through the Porter application near Nana Chiloda Circle in Ahmedabad, police said on Wednesday.

The case came to light after police received a control-room message about a suspicious parcel that had arrived for delivery through the application.

The substance was examined preliminarily by a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) officer in the presence of panch witnesses and was found to be mephedrone, a synthetic drug.

Police seized the substance and initially registered an offence against three unidentified mobile phone holders under Sections 8(c), 22(a) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

During the investigation, they traced and arrested the man suspected of ordering the consignment through the parcel.

The accused was identified as Priyang Sanghvi (27). He is a businessman who lives in Aram Park Flats in the Sabarmati area of the city. He is originally from Shirodi village in Rajasthan’s Sirohi district.

According to the police, the suspected method involved using a mobile phone number belonging to a witness to log in to the Porter application.

Drug consignments were allegedly packed separately in zipper bags and sent through the delivery service. An intermediary was allegedly used to distribute the drugs to different customers for sale.

The police said the arrest followed instructions from senior officers to curb the illegal sale and transportation of narcotic substances and detect offences related to them.

“The operation was conducted by Naroda police personnel under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector B M Katariya,” officials said.

The police seized 0.77 grams of mephedrone, valued at Rs 1,540. The investigation concerns the alleged use of a parcel delivery application to transport the substance and its subsequent distribution through an intermediary.