Man held for smuggling iridium

The accused Mohammad Shoaib Girnari had almost crossed the green channel and was on his way out when he was apprehended by Assistant Commissioner Sameer Wankhede.

Customs officials said smuggling of iridium — which is mixed with gold and used in jewellery — has been rare at the airport till now.

“During interrogation,he confessed to smuggling and said it was his first time. But we suspect he has done this in the past as he is a frequent flier,” said a Customs official.

“He was given free tickets and a special allowance to act as a courier. He had concealed the iridium with carbon paper in separate packets to avoid detection,” the official said.

Girnari,a resident of Dongri,had gone to Honk Kong for a day. “He was there only for a day. We suspect it was just to collect the packet,” the official added.

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