Mumbai: The Customs Department at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai Zone-III, carried out multiple interceptions between September 21 and 24, recovering narcotics, foreign currency and unclaimed gold worth several crores.

On September 21, officers intercepted a passenger arriving from Colombo on flight UL-141. Examination of the checked-in trolley bag revealed 2.624 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at approximately Rs 2.624 crore. The narcotics were concealed inside the bag, and the passenger was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Acting on specific intelligence the same day, two passengers travelling to Dubai on flight EK-509 were found carrying concealed foreign currency. One passenger had Rs 7.11 lakh, while the other was found with Rs 49.38 lakh, both hidden in handbags.

Two days later, On September 23, a passenger arriving from Bangkok on flight SQ-424 was intercepted after profiling. The checked-in baggage contained 18.400 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at Rs 18.4 crore. The passenger was arrested under the NDPS Act. Meanwhile, another passenger travelling to Jakarta on flight 6E-1601 was found carrying Rs 19.17 lakh in concealed foreign currency.

Additionally, custom routine checks near immigration counters led to the recovery of 365 grams of unclaimed gold dust, valued at Rs 38.10 lakh, under the Customs Act, 1962.

Officials said these operations highlight the proactive measures undertaken by Customs authorities to curb illegal activities at one of India’s busiest airports. The multiple interceptions over the four-day period also underscore the effectiveness of enhanced profiling techniques, intelligence sharing, and risk-based examination procedures in deterring smuggling activities at CSMIA.

New Delhi, Sep 27: In a major crackdown on builders accused of cheating thousands of homebuyers, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday registered six cases against real estate companies in Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai, along with unknown officials of financial institutions, following directions of the Supreme Court. Searches were conducted at 12 premises across the three cities, during which “various incriminating documents and some digital electronic evidences have been seized”, the agency said.

The probe stems from petitions filed by aggrieved homebuyers before the Supreme Court, highlighting large-scale cheating by developers and coercive recovery measures by financial institutions.

The apex court had flagged the “unholy nexus” between builders and lenders through the controversial subvention scheme of home loans and, in April 2025, directed the CBI to initiate seven preliminary enquiries.

Accordingly, the CBI earlier filed 22 FIRs against builders in the National Capital Region (NCR), which are under investigation.

The present action follows the completion of the seventh enquiry covering projects outside NCR.

After reviewing the CBI’s status report, the Supreme Court directed the agency to convert its findings into six regular cases.

“Now, on completion of the seventh Preliminary Enquiry which was against various builders outside NCR, CBI has submitted the status report before the Supreme Court. Upon perusal of the report submitted by the CBI, the HSupreme Court directed CBI to register six Regular Cases against different builders in Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai and unknown officials of financial institutions,” the agency said in its press statement.

“In compliance, CBI has registered six cases and conducted searches at twelve locations/places at Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai and Searches are still in progress,” it further said.

The six named entities are: M/s Ithaca Estate Pvt. Ltd, Bengaluru, M/s LGCL Urban Homes (India) LLP, Bengaluru, M/s Ozone Urbana Infra Developers Pvt. Ltd, Bengaluru, M/s Shashwati Realty Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai (with projects in Bengaluru), M/s MKHS Housing LLP, Kolkata and M/s ACME Realities Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai.

The Supreme Court’s intervention followed mounting complaints nationwide that homebuyers were left in the lurch after developers failed to deliver projects, while banks continued to demand EMIs under the subvention model.

The CBI’s widening probe now aims to establish the extent of collusion between real estate firms and financial institutions.

New Delhi, Sep 27: In the Delhi BMW accident case involving the death of a senior Ministry of Finance official, a Delhi court on Saturday extended the judicial custody of accused Gaganpreet Kaur till October 11. A decision on her bail plea shall be delivered later in the day.

Judicial Magistrate Ankit Garg, who is hearing the matter, heard preliminary arguments regarding Gaganpreet Kaur’s bail plea on Thursday and reserved the verdict for Saturday afternoon.

The judicial custody of Gaganpreet Kaur, 38, was extended for 14 days on Saturday as her earlier custody had come to an end and she was produced before the court in the morning.

Gaganpreet Kaur faces charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with reckless driving.

The road accident took place in the Dhaula Kuan area earlier this month, where Gaganpreet Kaur allegedly rammed her BMW into a motorcycle, resulting in critical injuries to and subsequent death of senior Ministry of Finance officer Navjot Singh, and grievous injuries to his wife.

During Thursday’s proceedings, the prosecution made several strong assertions. They argued that the BMW was speeding at the time of the collision and raised questions about the handling of the aftermath.

Notably, the injured victims were not taken to the nearest hospital, despite several being available in the vicinity. Instead, they were transported to Nulife Hospital in GTB Nagar, North Delhi, a facility allegedly owned by one of Gaganpreet Kaur’s relatives. The prosecution suggested this could be an attempt to tamper with medical evidence or avoid proper scrutiny.

The Investigating Officer (IO) submitted CCTV footage from the day of the incident, which the magistrate reviewed during the session. The footage is expected to play a crucial role in establishing the sequence of events leading up to the fatal crash.

The case has garnered significant public attention due to the high-profile nature of the victim and concerns about whether justice will be served promptly and fairly.