Mangalore: Haleangady Man Caught at Airport with 15 Kg of Saffron
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Jan 7: In yet another incident of its kind in the last two months, a man was caught at Mangalore International Airport customs on Monday January 7 for trying to smuggle in saffron.
The accused has been identified as Mohammed Aslam (32), a resident of Haleangady near Mulky.
He arrived from Dubai by Air India Express flight on Monday morning.
Sources said that he was caught with 15 kg of saffron, which he had planned to transport to Kasargod later on.
The total value of the seized saffron is Rs 15 lac, said customs commissioner D Purushottam.
Custom officials said that the saffron was stuffed between two cardboard boxes which also contained clothes, household goods, dishes, chocolates and other food items.
The scanning machine did not show the saffron, nor did the officials had any information about saffron being brought by the person.
Sources said that Aslam raised suspicion when he took a long time to appear before the officials for baggage checking. On examining the baggage thoroughly, the saffron was found.
Aslam during interrogation revealed that the saffron was given to him by his friend. He claimed that he did not even know whom to deliver the saffron. His friend had given him the bag telling him to take it to Kasargod, for which he was promised commission.
The customs officials said that the scanning machine installed at the airport is not advanced. Hence, it does not show the exact content while scanning. When food items and household goods are scanned, the machine detects orange colour, as a result of which the saffron went unnoticed.
The saffron is smuggled from Gulf mainly to mix it with saffron produced in Jammu Kashmir, which is of superior quality, and then sell it at a higher price. In India the price of Iran Saffron is Rs 1 lac per kg.
Superintendents of customs Ravishankar, Shivananda Pai, Rajashekar and inspector Pavan Kumar were part of the operation.
The accused Mohammed Aslam was produced before the first class magistrate court in Mangalore.
On November 3, 2012, two persons from Kerala had been arrested at the Airport customs while trying to smuggle in saffron worth Rs 25 lac.
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