Customs dept seizes antique gold, silver coins from passenger at Mumbai airport

The Customs department has seized antique gold and silver coins from a passenger who landed at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) from London, officials said on Thursday. The seized items include a gold mohur from East India Company's Bengal Presidency (Murshidabad Mint, in the name of Shah Alam II, AH 1202/RY 19) weighing 12.37 grams, a gold dinar from the ancient Kushan Empire (Huvishka) weighing 8 grams, and a silver rupee from the Mughal era (Jahangir, Zodiac Sign Cancer, Ahmadabad Mint) weighing 11.44 grams, an official said. ''The antique gold and silver coins were being smuggled by concealing them inside the passenger's trolley bag. The Mumbai Customs' Airport Commissionerate conducted an operation on February 10 and the passenger was intercepted based on suspicion. He had arrived from London on board a Virgin Atlantic Airlines flight that landed on February 9,'' he said. The coins were being smuggled in a novel manner, with further investigations underway to ascertain this network and the passenger's links, the official said. ''The market value of the seized coins is being assessed. Legal action under Customs Act has been initiated against the passenger,'' he said.