Mumbai: The Mumbai Airport Customs officers on Sunday arrested a 26-year-old man for allegedly smuggling drugs worth around Rs 9 crore sourced from abroad. Interestingly, the accused had created a cavity in his trolley bag and had cleverly concealed drugs in it to avoid getting caught.

The arrested person has been identified as Ramiz Khan, a resident of Chennai.

According to the Customs sources, on the basis of specific intelligence, passenger Ramiz Khan was intercepted after he arrived at the international airport in Mumbai from Bangkok on Saturday. Thereafter, the Customs officers carried out a search of the trolley bag carried by the passenger. The said trolley bag was stuffed with clothes, chocolates and eight food packets. The said food packets contained eight airtight plastic packets inside.

“Further after emptying the trolley bag, it was found unusually heavy. Therefore, the said empty trolley bag was scanned through a baggage scanning machine which indicated the presence of four more airtight plastic packets. Hence the trolley bag was broken and four more packets were recovered which were cleverly concealed in a cavity created in the bag,” said a Customs source.

The said plastic packets contained green-colored dry leafy substance in lump form which tested positive for hydroponic weed, a substance covered under the NDPS Act. A total of 8895 grams of hydroponic weed valued around Rs 9 crore was recovered from the said passenger after which his statement was recorded wherein he admitted non-declaration, concealment, recovery and seizure of the narcotics substance that is fruiting and flowering top of a plant purported to be hydroponic weed.

“As the investigations in the case are at a very preliminary stage, efforts are also being made to identify and apprehend key associates of the accused. The officers are also probing who had supplied drugs to the accused and who were supposed to receive the said consignments in Mumbai,” said a Customs source.

Mumbai, Nov 24: Gold prices fell sharply on Monday as weak chances of a US Federal Reserve rate cut and easing geopolitical tensions weighed on investor sentiment.

A stronger US dollar also added pressure on the precious metal.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold December futures dropped 1 per cent to Rs 1,22,950 per 10 grams.

Silver followed the trend, with December futures falling 0.61 per cent to Rs 1,53,209 per kg in early trade.

“In INR gold has support at Rs1,23,450-1,22,480 while resistance at Rs1,24,750-1,25,500,” analysts said.

“Silver has support at Rs1,53,050-1,52,350 while resistance at Rs1,55,140, 1,55,980,” they added.

Analysts said gold currently lacks any strong positive trigger to maintain its previous gains.

The latest US job market data reduced expectations of a 25-basis-point rate cut by the Federal Reserve in December, which has been a key reason behind the correction in prices.

The strong economic data pushed the US dollar index to nearly a six-month high on Friday.

The index remained above the 100 level on Monday, making gold more expensive for buyers holding other currencies and restricting demand.

Geopolitical concerns have also eased in recent days, further reducing gold’s safe-haven appeal.

Experts believe the combination of a stronger dollar, uncertainty over US tariff decisions, developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the upcoming Fed policy announcement may keep gold prices volatile in the near term.

Some market analysts expect further correction and advise investors to stay cautious before making fresh purchases.

Gold is attempting to reclaim momentum as prices hover near $4,100, driven by growing expectations of a December Fed rate cut, now priced at 71 per cent probability after dovish hints from officials like Miran and Williams.

“Bullion has been choppy over the past three sessions, reflecting traders’ indecision, but with rate-cut bets rising and geopolitical risks lingering, dips in gold are likely to attract renewed buying interest in the coming week with next resistance seen around 125000 and support near 122000,” experts added.

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up on Monday to a cool November morning, with minimum temperatures dipping below 22°C and a light chill settling over the city. Early commuters enjoyed clear skies and gentle winds, weather that briefly made the city feel closer to winter than its usual warm, humid climate.

However, the pleasant morning arrived with a grim reminder of Mumbai’s persistent air-quality crisis. A dense layer of smog hung over the skyline, muting visibility even as the mild breeze failed to disperse the pollution that has been accumulating steadily through November. What felt like a refreshing start to the day was overshadowed by a thick haze that lingered across major areas.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), clear skies are likely to continue through the day, with maximum temperatures expected to rise to around 34°C by afternoon. Meteorologists added that early-morning coolness may persist for a few more days, though they offered no clear indication of when the city’s worsening pollution levels might improve.

Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 326 on Monday morning, placing the city firmly in the severe category. This marks a huge jump from air-quality readings earlier in the month, when several pockets still showed moderate levels. Today’s data revealed widespread deterioration, particularly in industrial belts and high-density areas.

Chembur recorded the highest AQI of the day at 382, placing it deep in the severe range. Santacruz East and the Wadala Truck Terminal followed closely, reporting severe AQIs of 362 and 355. Malad (344) and Bandra Kurla Complex (342) showed similar readings, indicating that the pollution surge has spread across the eastern, western and central corridors of the city.

Suburban regions showed marginally better, but still concerning, air quality. Kandivali East, with an AQI of 163, recorded the lowest value in the city but remained in the poor category. Other areas including Jogeshwari (309), Govandi (313), Borivali East (315) and Mulund West (317) all fell under the severe category.

For context, an AQI between 0–50 is considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 poor, 151–200 unhealthy, and anything above 200 falls under severe or hazardous.