Ami Kotecha, returning from Dubai, concealed 5.47 kg of gold in her daughter’s jacket to evade customs checks
A US-based Non-Resident Indian (NRI) woman, Ami Kotecha, was arrested at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for smuggling gold worth ₹4.86 crore. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted Kotecha and her teenage daughter after their arrival from Dubai, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Kotecha was caught attempting to smuggle 5.47 kg of gold hidden in a custom-made jacket worn by her minor daughter. Officials found nine yellow gold bars of varying weights during the search. While Kotecha was arrested under the Customs Act, her daughter was released after questioning.
Mother Used Daughter to Avoid Detection
According to DRI officials, Kotecha intentionally gave the contraband to her daughter, believing that minors would not be frisked during customs checks.
During the investigation, her daughter admitted that her mother handed her the gold packet, though she was unaware it was illegal to bring gold into India without declaring it
Kotecha claimed she purchased the gold during a stopover in Dubai. Further inquiries revealed that her husband had previously been caught by customs while attempting to smuggle 10 lakh US dollars out of India, raising further suspicion about the family’s activities.
Legal Proceedings and Duty Evasion
Kotecha was produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody. Her lawyer, Aftab Qureshi, argued that Kotecha was unaware of India’s gold import regulations. DRI officials countered that if the gold had been declared through official channels, a customs duty of ₹1.87 crore would have been applicable at an effective rate of 38.5%.
Authorities continue to investigate whether Kotecha’s actions were part of a larger smuggling operation, considering her family’s prior involvement in financial offenses.
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