The Delhi unit of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a Hawala racket, seizing foreign currency worth Rs 1 crore, at New Delhi IGI airport on Thursday.
Officers of the Delhi Zonal Unit of DRI had mounted surveillance and intercepted a domestic as well as a Dubai-bound international passenger at terminal 3 of the airport. The passengers were exchanging their bags in a toilet by the security hold area when they were caught. DRI officials have seized Saudi Riyal, UAE Dirham and US Dollars of various denominations equivalent to Rs. 1,00,88,237 from these two passengers.
The domestic passenger had booked a ticket in Air India’s Bhubaneswar-bound international flight AI 075 that was running on 'hub and spoke' model. He was travelling only for the purpose of handing-over the foreign currencies to the international passenger going to Dubai by Jet Airways flight. The passenger had cleared domestic customs, immigration and security checks to escape stringent checking of international passengers. Normally, smugglers carry foreign currencies to Dubai and bring gold, demand for which had peaked post demonetization. Further investigations are in progress.