<![CDATA[Mangaluru: Two employees of a private airlines Spicejet were arrested by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officers in Mangaluru on charges of smuggling gold recently. DRI Deputy Director, Vinayak Bhat said, officers acting on an intelligence report seized 22 pieces of gold biscuits weighing a total of 2566.05 gm from a Spicejet aircraft which landed at the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) from Dubai on July 15. The total value of the gold seized is estimated at Rs. 75,26,225, he said in a release in Mangaluru. The gold biscuits were smuggled into the country by concealing them under a seat of the aircraft during its international flight from Dubai to Mumbai by a carrier hired for the job. Thereafter, once the aircraft was deployed on its assignment in the domestic sector, it operated between Mumbai and Mangaluru, Mr Bhat said. The employees were working at MIA who were part of the conspiracy who passed on advance information to the smugglers regarding the itinerary of the aircraft, he said. Mr Bhat added, they helped the smugglers by retrieving the gold from the aircraft upon its landing at Mangaluru and delivering them outside later misusing their position to smuggle gold out of the airport by avoiding customs check. During interrogation the two employees confessed to their crime and told investigators that they did it for the lure of hefty money offered by the smugglers. They also admitted that they had done it on six occasions earlier. Meanwhile, Spicejet in a statement here said that the two employees had been suspended "with immediate effect pending complete inquiry and investigation by agencies." The suspended employees were Mohammed Haneef from city (senior CSE, Airport Services) and Muddayya from Kodagu (Security Officer).]]>
