Man arrested at Kolkata airport with US 40,000 dollars in Gutka packets

Kolkata: A Bangkok bound air passenger, identified as Ganga Sagar, has been arrested by the Customs officials at the Kolkata airport for possessing US 40,000 Dollars in many Gukta (chewing tobacco) packets, official sources said on Tuesday.

The nabbing of the Indian passenger happened on Sunday minutes before his departure for Bangkok on a private airlines airplane at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, the Customs officials said.

"Acting on intelligence inputs the Customs officers intercepted the passenger scheduled to depart to Bangkok after immigration formalities. Search of his checked-in baggage resulted in recovery of US $40O00 (worth Rs 3278000) concealed inside Gutkha pouches," the Customs department at the Dum Dum airport said.

This was a major crime committed by an Indian passenger, who was busted by the Customs department at the city airport to sneak away with foreign money after the airlines began normal functioning following two years of suspension of all flights due to Covid-19.

Local police began an investigation into the incident if the man was involved in organised crime. (UNI)