Mumbai Airport Customs seized 7.465 Kg gold of Rs. 5.113 Crores across seven cases of contraband gold concealed on the bodies of passengers and contractual staff of the airport late Friday night.

About The Seizure

The contraband gold evading customs levies was hidden in pockets of pants worn by them and inside the body cavities of seven individuals arrested for gold smuggling. The alert customs officials of the elite Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) intercepted three passengers, one arriving from Dubai, and another two passengers from Madagascar with 24 KT Gold Jewelry, Key Rings, Keychains, Keys, kadas in color-coated fashion jewelry with a total of Net Weight of 4.655 Kgs valued at Rs. 3.183 crore concealed on body and pockets of the trousers pants worn by them.

2 Contractual Staffs Arrested

The customs officers also arrested two contractual staff hired by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport working in the departure area of the airport with seven pouches of 24KT Gold Dust in wax having a net weight of 2.81 Kg provisionally valued at Rs.1.93 Crore concealed inside undergarments as well as side pockets of the trouser worn by the contract staff.

The questioning of the airport staff led to the arrest of four other airport staff involved in abetting the smuggling racket with picking of the contraband gold from international flights and handing them to transit passengers on domestic flights to avoid customs checks and detection.

MUMBAI 14th Sep : Eid-e-Milad holiday has been shown on Monday, September 16, 2024 among the 24 public holidays notified by the state government. Eid-e-Milad is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims on a large scale. A procession program is organized on this occasion. Tuesday Since Anant Chaturdashi is a Hindu festival on September 17, 2024, this year, Muslims in Mumbai city, Mumbai suburbs and some other districts, with the aim of maintaining peace and social harmony between the two communities, on Wednesday, d. It has been decided to take out the procession on September 18, 2024. The public holiday of Eid-e-Milad declared for Monday, September 16, 2024 in the districts of Sabab, Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburbs has been canceled and will now be held on Wednesday. A notification has been issued on the 18th day of September, 2024.

In addition to the districts of Mumbai City and Mumbai suburbs, the Collector in other districts of the state, taking into consideration the date of the procession taken by the Muslims on Monday, dt. Released on September 16, 2024 Should the public holiday be maintained or canceled on Wednesday, dt. The General Administration Department has informed that the concerned Collectors should take a decision to declare a public holiday on 18 September 2024.

Thane: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) reportedly issued a closure notice to Nikakem Products, a chemical factory based in Ambernath, on Friday following a gas leak that affected local residents on Thursday night. The incident led to widespread complaints of eye irritation, breathing difficulties and reduced visibility as a thick haze spread across the area. Residents from Morivli village, near the MIDC industrial area, were particularly affected, with some experiencing vomiting and panic as the smog-like conditions enveloped their surroundings.

Factory Manufactures Hazardous Chemicals

The gas leak began around 11:00 pm and quickly spread, covering a one-kilometre radius by 11:30 pm. The situation was brought under control within two hours, and fortunately no injuries or hospitalisations were reported. The factory manufactures hydrochloric acid, phosphorus trichloride and phosphorus pentoxide, all of which are hazardous chemicals.

Rajendra Rajput, a senior official at MPCB’s Kalyan region, the factory had closed operations at 7:00 pm, but it was storing excessive amounts of acid in drums without taking proper safety precautions. Rainwater, leaking through the roof, came into contact with the stored acid, causing a chemical reaction that released harmful fumes. As a result, the MPCB issued an immediate closure notice to the company on Friday. A gas detection system was also deployed at the site to assess the extent of the leakage and monitor air quality.

The Ambernath police were alerted to the situation at 11:00 pm when smoke was observed in the MIDC area of Morivali village. Senior Police Inspector Jagannath Kalaskar stated that the smoke originated from Nikakem Products and was the result of a chemical reaction involving two partially cut yellow drums. The fire brigade quickly extinguished the chemical process and the police are maintaining vigilance to prevent any further incidents.

Locals Express Dissatisfaction Over Incident

Local residents expressed frustration with the recurring issues of chemical leaks and toxic fumes from factories in the area. Jayesh Nair, a resident of Morivli while speaking to HT, described the night as terrifying, with visibility so poor that he couldn’t see out of his window. He experienced vomiting and eye irritation and many other residents faced similar symptoms. Nair also criticised the MPCB for its lack of effective monitoring, stating that chemical leaks happen frequently but are often ignored by authorities.

Another resident, Satish Waghmare, recounted his own experience, noting that he couldn’t see a building gate just a few feet away during the incident. His eye irritation persisted for several hours and the night was marked by coughing and panic among his neighbours.