A passenger arriving on a flight into Mumbai was found to have $280,000 of diamonds concealed in their body.
Customs officials at the city’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (pictured) were alerted through routine profiling, spot checks and the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS)which requires airlines to share details of all passengers on international flights.
The seized diamonds weighed a total of 894.6 carats and were valued at Rs 2.52 crore (USD 280,000), according to Mumbai Customs.
No further details of the diamonds, the passenger, or their port of departure were disclosed.
The diamonds were among a number of seizures made on 30 and 31 December at the same airport, including gold and cannabis.
Earlier in December, a passenger was caught with Rs 43.97 lakh (USD 53,000) of cut diamonds hidden in a suitcase as they prepared to board a flight to Bangkok.
People smuggling diamonds into India are generally trying to evade import duties on rough stoners, or bypass Kimberley Process certification requirements.
Source: DCLA
