The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Customs recently arrested a crew member of Jet Airways for allegedly trying to smuggle 1,160gm of gold out of the city's international airport.

Ten gold bars worth Rs2.79 million ($39656) were seized from Jet crew member Deepak Indramani Pandey, who arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport from Dubai, the officials said.

"After Pandey was asked to come inside for personal search by AIU, he dropped the gold near the sofa outside the Customs Superintendent's room," an official said.

Later, when the staff went through the CCTV footage, they realised that he had dropped gold from the pocket of his trousers and undergarments near the sofa.

"The crew member was then asked to return to the airport and was shown the footage, following which he admitted to the possession and carriage of gold," officials said.

AIU officials said this is the 20th case in the past one-and-half-years in which an airport insider has been caught smuggling.