CHENNAI: Two persons, including one employed with a national carrier, were arrested by sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence at the airport for attempting to smuggle unaccounted foreign currency to Singapore on Sunday. The DRI seized US dollars worth Rs 20 lakh from the duo.DRI officials said Shahjahan (42) of Royapuram and Prasad (54), a senior superintendent in the catering department of the airline, tried to smuggle close to $40,000 to Singapore in an aircraft.Prasad collected $35,000 from Shahjahan outside the airport after the latter arrived to board a Singapore-bound flight scheduled to depart at 12.45 am. Prasad then put the cash in a cover used to wrap food and took it inside the airport, concealing it under a jacket in his hand.He then proceeded through gate number nine, officials said, adding that this amounted to a security breach as he was not frisked when he crossed the entry point.He then boarded a bus that was ferrying food to the Singapore-bound flight and boarded the flight. As he knew Prasad would occupy seat no (24A), he allegedly left the packet of cash there in a pouch where newspapers and magazines are usually kept.Meanwhile, based on a tip off, the DRI officials caught Prasad near the aircraft and subsequently seized the cash. Another DRI team nabbed Shahjahan, who was waiting at the lounge to board the aircraft following the check-in procedure.His baggage was recalled and another $4,000 was found in it. “This shows that anything could be taken in to the airport. Prasad had contacts with such smugglers and he said that he had earlier carried cash using a similar modus operandi.” “Following, another thorough check, the flight left the airport only around 3 am,” DRI additional director C Rajan said. The duo was arrested and remanded to judicial custody, the officials added.
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