In a scandal straight out of a spy thriller, three unsuspecting students bound for Dubai have been caught red-handed with over $400,000 (Dh1.47 billion) stuffed into notebooks at Pune airport. The discovery unfolded on February 17, when customs officials intercepted the trio — who claim they had no idea what was in store for them.
The plot thickened when it emerged that the students had received two mysterious bags from Pune-based travel agent Khushbu Agarwal, 41. She allegedly passed off the bags, claiming they contained urgent office documents for her Dubai operation. But what the students didn’t know was that hidden between the pages were stacks of foreign currency which had been meticulously concealed in a bold smuggling attempt.
Acting on a tip-off amid an investigation into a suspected hawala racket, Pune Customs unearthed the shocking secret. Indian authorities, in collaboration with officials in Dubai, quickly sent the students back to India — only to have them intercepted at the airport, where the currency stash was discovered.
The ensuing inquiry led to the dramatic detention of Agarwal, who confessed to owning the seized money during the interrogation.
Further questioning resulted in the arrest of Mumbai-based forex trader Mohammed Aamir, the alleged supplier of the illicit funds. A subsequent raid on a forex firm in Mumbai uncovered even more foreign currencies from various countries.
Customs and Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers have since raided 10 locations across Pune, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai, tightening the noose around those involved. Both Agarwal and Aamir have now been placed in judicial custody, as the authorities continue to unravel the currency smuggling case.
(Source: PTI, HT)
