Andhra Pradesh woman escapes trafficking trap; fake visa agent arrested at RGIA
According to police, the victim, Lankapalli Mary, a daily wage labourer from Pentapadu mandal, had approached Satyanarayana four months ago in search of a job abroad. The agent, also from West Godavari, promised to arrange a work visa, medical clearance, and a Protector of Emigrants (POE) certificate at no cost to her.
Since her passport had expired, the agent helped her secure a new one, claiming he would bear all expenses including visa, medicals, and airfare. On June 4, Mary and her son travelled to Tanuku railway station, where Satyanarayana and another woman, Kondalamma, joined them. The group reached Hyderabad the following day and stayed in a hotel near RGIA. Later that night, Satyanarayana handed over air tickets, travel visas, and passports to both women and instructed them to tell immigration officers they were merely tourists. At the immigration counter, however, the women revealed they were travelling for work and that a man named Sundaram in Muscat had arranged for it.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
DRI seizes ₹13.3 crore hydroponic ganja from passenger at RGIA
Officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 13.3 kilogram of high-grade hydroponic ganja, valued at around ₹13.3 crore from a female passenger at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Monday. Acting on specific intelligence, officials from the Hyderabad zonal unit intercepted an Indian woman passenger who arrived from Bangkok. A detailed search of her check-in baggage led to the discovery of 20 packets containing hydroponic ganja, a highly potent variant of cannabis cultivated using water-based nutrient systems. The contraband, along with its packaging material, was seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The passenger was arrested and has been remanded to judicial custody. Further investigation is under way.
Time of India
05-08-2025
- Time of India
Sri Lankan woman accuses immigration official of stalking her at Hyderabad airport
Hyderabad: A Bureau of Immigration official at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad was booked for stalking a 24-year-old woman passenger from Sri Lanka at the airport. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The complainant alleged that he was repeatedly pressurising her to leave the terminal with him during a transit halt on Sunday evening. Police said the incident occurred at around 5 pm on August 3 when the 24-year-old woman, pursuing an undergraduate music degree at a Chhattisgarh-based institution, arrived from Colombo by IndiGo flight 6E-1182. "I arrived at 4.30 pm, and there was a 16-hour transit halt for my next flight to Raipur. I picked up my luggage, filled in my details on the immigration form, and handed it over to the official at the immigration counter. He asked me if I was alone at the airport and gave me his number, asking me to call him if I needed any help," the complainant said. At 6.22 pm, when the student was waiting at the airport, the immigration official called her and asked her to come to the car park. "He kept insisting that he would show me the city and that I could leave my bags in his office. He said he would take me to dinner. When I refused, he kept calling and suggested we could go to a room where I could rest," the complainant said. Distressed, the student alerted a friend who advised her to approach the airport police. She then lodged a written complaint during the early hours of Monday with the RGI airport police. Based on her complaint, a case was registered against the suspect under section 78(1)(i) (stalking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Based on the mobile number of the accused, he has been identified as a Bureau of Immigration staff member working at the airport. We are collecting evidence and verifying the allegations. He has been issued a notice to appear before the investigating officer as per legal procedures," said an airport police official.
Time of India
03-08-2025
- Time of India
With slash in import duty, gold smuggling at RGIA falls by 70%
Hyderabad: Gold smuggling at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has seen a sharp decline following a reduction in import duty from 15% to 6% last year and heightened surveillance. According to data obtained through an RTI application filed by TOI with the customs department, gold seizures decreased by 68%, from 132.4 kg in 2023-24 to 42.5 kg in 2024-25. The worth of gold seized at RGIA during 2024-25 is Rs 32.11 crore. On the other hand, cigarette seizures experienced a threefold increase, rising from 54 cases in 2023-24 to 175 cases in 2024-25. The RTI data shows that in the previous fiscal, authorities apprehended 133 flyers involved in gold smuggling, down from 240 in 2023. Whenever a passenger is caught smuggling goods, including gold, the case is investigated and a showcause notice is issued under section 124 of the Customs Act, 1962, says the RTI reply. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad "Passenger profiling, baggage scanning, deployment of officers for monitoring, and coordinating with intelligence agencies have helped prevent smuggling of gold and other goods. We have a staff of 96 in the office of deputy/assistant commissioner at RGIA," said AV Ramana Murthy, deputy commissioner, customs, RGIA. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo The majority of smuggled gold originates from West Asian cities, such as Jeddah, Sharjah, Dubai, Muscat, Kuwait, and Bahrain, with passengers attempting to conceal gold in various forms such as paste, capsules and garments. During screening, authorities have also discovered gold hidden in passengers' rectums. In one incident reported on June 25, 2024, RGIA customs officials seized 806 gm of gold worth Rs 58.8 lakh from a passenger arriving from Abu Dhabi, who had hidden it inside his rectum. The current market rate for 24-carat gold in Hyderabad stands at approximately Rs 1 crore per kg, indicating that a smuggler can potentially gain Rs 5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh per kg of gold. Usually, gold is cheaper by 5% to 7% in countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. Under customs regulations, passengers can carry gold, including jewellery, up to a maximum limit of 1 kg in their baggage. For jewellery owned for more than one year, male travellers are permitted a duty-free allowance of up to 20 grams, whilst female passengers can bring up to 40 gm without paying customs duty as part of their legitimate baggage. MSID:: 123076053 413 | Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
