Sajid Sayyed Shaikh was detained for flying with undeclared gold, watches, perfumes and foreign currency; he insisted he did not know the rules
Sajid Sayyed Shaikh was detained for flying with undeclared gold, watches, perfumes and foreign currency; he insisted he did not know the rules
It is becoming increasingly commonplace for airline passengers to feign ignorance about customs laws, in the event of being discovered in possession of undeclared valuables. After actress Minissha Lamba's paraphernalia of glamour literally landed her in trouble, the airport authorities at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport intercepted renowned Mira Road-based builder, Sajid Sayyed Shaikh on Friday, for travelling in possession of undeclared gold jewellery and foreign currency. After being detained at the green channel, he too pleaded ignorance, stating during the interrogation that he was not aware of the existing laws. 
Scanned and checked: It is becoming more common for those who
have been caught flouting the norms to feign ignorance to customs
officials. Representation Pic/Thinkstock Images
Shaikh, a passenger on board the Qantas flight from Singapore to Mumbai, stepped into the green channel with lavish luggage. The luggage included jewellery, branded luxury watches, and perfumes, in addition to foreign currency. He was intercepted and detained by a team headed by the Deputy Commissioner (Customs), Sameer Wankhade.
Talking to MiD DAY, a senior Customs official at the Mumbai Airport said, "He was caught in possession of
gold jewellery worth Rs 8 lakh, foreign watches worth Rs 1.26 lakh, perfumes to the tune of approximately
Rs 80,000 and foreign currency amounting to $5,000 (Rs 2.25 lakh). During interrogation, however, he maintained that he was not aware of the existing laws. This is a very common excuse offered by nearly everyone who gets detained for this reason. Recent illustrations of this phenomenon can be seen in the cases of actress Minissha Lamba, and Goan minister Atanasio Monserrate." "We have booked him under relevant sections of the Customs Act for carrying undeclared foreign currency beyond the permissible limit," the official added.
Mahendra Pal, additional commissioner for the air intelligence unit (Customs), confirmed the detainment.
He said, "Yes. We intercepted the passenger and interrogated him. He was carrying gold jewellery and other items; we produced him at court."u00a0 Shaikh, who was produced at the Esplanade Court, has been released on bail. Repeated attempts to contact him proved futile.u00a0
Descending fortunes
May 18, 2011: Minissha Lamba, who was returning from Cannes on an Emirates plane, was intercepted by the Customs officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport for carrying undeclared diamond jewellery worth more than Rs 40 lakh. She was interrogated for almost 11 hours before being released in the early hours the next day.
May, 2011: Sangeeta Jindal, wife of steel tycoon Sajjan Jindal, was fined a sum of over Rs 10 lakh, for carrying undeclared diamond jewellery and other imported valuables worth Rs 60 lakh, on her flight back from trips to countries abroad.
April, 2011: Goa's Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate was detained at Mumbai Airport, for allegedly carrying foreign and Indian currency beyond the permissible limit.
June, 2009: Sheetal Mafatlal, president of Mafatlal Luxury, was arrested for carrying jewellery, the total value of which she allegedly did not disclose to Customs officials.
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