Two held at Mumbai airport for bid to smuggle diamonds worth Rs 5.7 crore hidden inside bodies

Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) held two passengers at the Mumbai international airport and recovered from them diamonds worth Rs 5.7 crore that they concealed inside their bodies, an official said on Thursday.

The duo was trying to smuggle the diamonds to Bangkok, he said.

The DRI official said after being caught at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the two passengers told the investigators that they concealed two capsules inside their bodies.

The capsules were later purged by the passengers, which led to the recovery of 1,624-carat diamonds, comprising natural as well as lab-grown ones, collectively valued at around Rs 5.7 crore, he said.

The duo was arrested and is being questioned in order to collect information from them about their syndicate that appears to be involved in international money laundering, the DRI said.

The diamonds were seized under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, the official added.