Chennai: YouTuber Sabir Ali arrested for running gold smuggling racket; check details

The Customs Department discovered Ali's operation on June 29-30. Following this, Ali (29) and his seven employees were arrested. During the investigation, many shocking details about this gang emerged. Ali had hired all seven employees on a salary of Rs. 15,000 per month. Additionally, he paid them Rs. 5,000 per gold ball they smuggled.

Team Asianet Newsable

First Published Jul 17, 2024, 12:04 PM IST | Last Updated Jul 17, 2024, 12:04 PM IST

Sabir Ali, a Chennai-based YouTuber, has been arrested for operating a gold smuggling racket. Ali managed a gift shop named AirHub at Chennai Airport, which served as a front for his real business of gold smuggling. He was linked to an international gold smuggling gang. Ali had employed seven individuals to smuggle gold. He used to hide gold brought by other smugglers from abroad in his rectum and transport it out of the airport. Ali provided training to his employees to ensure there were no irregularities. Customs Department officials have uncovered his gold smuggling methods.

Each smuggler could earn an extra Rs. 5,000 for transporting a gold ball in their rectum.

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This meant that if someone transported a gold ball in their rectum, they received an additional Rs. 5,000. A person could carry a maximum of three balls at a time, weighing approximately 900 grams in total. New recruits were initially required to transport one ball, with the number increasing to three with experience.

Within two months, the gang had smuggled 267 kg of gold, worth Rs. 167 crores. Customs officials estimate that Ali earned approximately Rs. 2.5 crore during this period. One of Ali's men admitted to smuggling gold 80 times in two months.

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The smugglers practiced holding the gold in their rectum while sitting to avoid detection by customs. They received training for 10 days before starting the job. A customs officer noted that with practice, the smugglers became accustomed to holding the gold in their rectum for an hour, even when asked to sit. The officials discovered the gang on June 29 when one member was caught during an X-ray investigation, hiding three gold balls in his rectum.

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