Chennai: 24 flight passengers held for smuggling gold

Chennai: Customs staff at the Chennai international airport intercepted as many as twenty-four air passengers and recovered six kilograms of gold valued at Rs 2 crores from them.

On Friday morning, three passengers Jiyavul Hug (25)  Syed Malungu (29)  both from Ramanathapuram, and Mohammed Khalifathullah (41)  of Chennai, who had arrived from Colombo by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight were intercepted and checked. Later two more passengers, Shiva (31) of Villupuram and Farzana Begum Tajuddin (46) of Mumbai, who had arrived from Dubai by an Indigo Airlines flight were also intercepted on suspicion of carrying gold. A personal search was made and officials found gold concealed in their rectum.

Four passengers identified as Feroz Khan (24) of Chennai, Syed Sikandar (26) of Virudhunagar, Mohamed Munas (46) and Jawseer (44) both from  Colombo, who landed from Colombo by an Indigo Airlines flight were stopped. Gold pieces concealed in their rectum were seized.

AIU officers intercepted Sulthan Syed Ibrahim (39) Viswanathan (48) and ten more passengers, all hailing from Ramanathapuram and  Kalandhar Sahul Hameed (21)  of Pudukkottai and Imam Babu (40)and Faith Rahman (35)  both  hailing from Chennai, who arrived from Colombo by a Spice Jet flight at the exit of the customs arrival hall, on suspicion of carrying gold  concealed in their person. On examination gold in a rubbery spread was found concealed in their rectum and recovered.

A total of 6 kg gold valued at Rs 2 crore was recovered by heat treatment in all the above cases and the same seized under the Customs Act 1962.

All were detained and an investigation is on.