Pune: In a major crackdown on foreign currency smuggling, the Customs Department at Pune Airport has seized ₹3.5 crore worth of foreign currency, which was being illegally transported out of India using three students traveling to Dubai.
The currency, concealed inside trolley bags, was discovered after a thorough investigation by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU). Two individuals, including a travel agent and a supplier, have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody at Yerawada Central Jail.
On February 17, the Customs Department received intelligence about an attempt to smuggle foreign currency on a SpiceJet flight to Dubai. Following the tip-off, officials recalled the passengers for questioning and thoroughly examined their luggage, leading to the discovery of ₹3.47 crore (approximately $400,000 in US dollars) concealed in two trolley bags.
During interrogation, the students revealed that they had received the bags from travel agent Khushbu Agarwal, who had arranged their Dubai trip package. Agarwal handed them the bags at the last minute, instructing them that the luggage contained office documents that needed urgent delivery to a Dubai-based firm. Trusting the agent, the students unknowingly carried the bags without realizing they were being used for illegal currency smuggling.
Upon discovering the scam, Customs officials exercised their authority to recall the students from Dubai and seized the bags for further investigation.
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Pune Airport Customs arrested travel agent Khushbu Agarwal, who later admitted to being the owner of the seized foreign currency. Further investigations led to the arrest of Mohammad Aamir, identified as the currency supplier.
A raid on Aamir's business premises led to the discovery of foreign currency worth ₹45 lakh from multiple countries. Following this breakthrough, Customs and Air Intelligence officials from Pune and Mumbai conducted raids at 10 locations across Pune, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai.
Both Khushbu Agarwal and Mohammad Aamir were presented in court, where they were initially remanded in police custody for six days. On February 24, the court ordered a 14-day judicial remand, and they have now been transferred to Yerawada Central Jail.
The Pune Customs Department has stated that further investigations are ongoing, focusing on identifying the larger network behind this smuggling operation. Authorities are also probing whether similar student-based smuggling attempts have taken place in the past.