How a YouTuber established a presence at Chennai airport aiding gold smugglers

As per sources, Mohammed Sabir Ali, the owner of the Airhub retail shop at Chennai international airport, reportedly received financial support from a syndicate member in Abu Dhabi to obtain the lease by paying a Rs 70 lakh deposit, as he lacked the necessary funds.

Customs arrested Sabir Ali and seven of his workers for assisting in smuggling 267 kg of gold valued at Rs 167 crore over two months from the store in the departure lounge of the airport.

Airhub was awarded the contract by Vidvedaa PRG, the authorized concessionaire for renting retail spaces at Chennai airport. A Vidvedaa source stated that they ended their partnership with Airhub right away once the smuggling operation was exposed.

Ali and seven of his workers were hired and educated by the organization to illegally transport gold from transit passengers to individuals located outside the airport. The store offers toys, souvenirs, and bags for sale.

The syndicate contacted Ali, a 29-year-old residing in Chennai, through his YouTube channel (Shopping Boyz) to serve as the face of their gold smuggling operations. The syndicate suggested that he should open a retail store after learning about the ads by Vidvedaa PRG on billboards.

Sources said the shop was finally opened in February of this year. Sabir Ali hired his staff on a contractual basis using an online employment website. As per customs officials, Sabir Ali and his staff at Airhub received a commission of approximately Rs 3 crore in the past two months.

The customs department is investigating how the eight Airhub employees obtained BCAS-provided identity cards, despite being contract workers not officially employed by the airport concessionaire. Sources added that this breaks airport regulations.

The Chennai airport director did not answer a call or messages from TNIE when asked for a comment on the issue.