Bid to smuggle 5,000 watches foiled

HYDERABAD: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials busted a gang comprising six members involved in smuggling branded watches and expensive Canon camera lenses.Officials recovered 5,000 Titan watches worth Rs1.76 crore including Rs 3 lakh in cash.According to officials, the accused were held by customs officials, when they were smuggling the loot from Singapore to Chennai via Hyderabad.C Rajan, additional director general, DRI Zonal Unit, Chennai told mediamen here on Saturday that intelligence had revealed a Chennai-based gang was smuggling watches and electronic items from Singapore through Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Officials of DRI, Hyderabad regional unit mounted surveillance at the gate near international arrivals on the night of August 25 to keep a watch on passengers arriving from Singapore by Silk Air flight no.MI 478.“Around 12.30 a.m, officers identified four passengers moving towards the parking area of the airport along with their checked-in baggage and hand bags after completion of immigration and customs formalities.Four passengers— Haja Kamaldeen Mohammed Azarudeen, Mohammed Sameer, Syed Hayat Nishad Ahmed and Chand Basha Niyamathullah, all residents of Chennai were carrying nine checked-in baggage apart from handbags,’’ Rajan said.During interrogation, all the accused were not found carrying any contraband goods or dutiable goods.Subsequent examination of their baggage, however, resulted in recovery of 5,000 Titan watches and expensive lenses for Canon cameras.The total value of the goods is Rs1.76 crore, he added.The four admitted they brought the watches and expensive camera lenses from Singapore without proper documents and not paying any customs duty.Subsequently, officials also nabbed two persons in connection with the smuggling gang, when they arrived at the RGIA from Chennai.The duo came here to receive the four accused.“DRI officials kept a watch at domestic arrivals on the evening of August 26 and apprehended Abdul Naheem Sheik Ismail and Syed Rahamatullah when they arrived by Indian Airlines flight AI 545.