The Ahmedabad Zonal Office of the ED received intelligence regarding a passenger who was suspected of carrying foreign currency while traveling from New Delhi to Vadodara. Based on this information, ED officers intercepted the passenger upon their arrival at Vadodara Airport, Gujarat, on March 22, 2024. They conducted a thorough search of the passenger’s personal belongings. During this search, they discovered foreign currency amounting to USD 60,000 (sixty thousand US dollars) in his hand luggage.
When questioned, the passenger admitted to bringing the foreign currency from the United States of America. However, he confessed to not having submitted a Currency Declaration Form to the Indian Customs Authorities upon landing in Delhi from the US. This glaring omission indicated a breach of customs regulations mandating the declaration of foreign currency upon entry into India.
The search yielded foreign currency worth approximately USD 60,000, equivalent to INR 50 lakh. Acting on the suspicion that the passenger had illegally imported the foreign currency into India, in violation of the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) Regulations, 2015, the ED seized the currency. It was evident that the passenger had possessed foreign currency exceeding the allowable limit without declaring it to Indian Customs Authorities.
Following the seizure, a subsequent search was conducted at the passenger’s residence in Vadodara on March 23, 2024, as part of ongoing investigative efforts.
