Hyderabad: Customs officials seized 799 gm of gold worth Rs 25.54 lakh hidden in a cavity in a seat of Air India’s Jeddah-Hyderabad flight on Wednesday. An inspection of the aircraft led to the recovery of four gold bars kept in a cavity near a passenger seat. “We suspect that a passenger who arrived in the flight kept it there for some other person to bring it out of the airport. Investigation is on to identify who brought the gold in the aircraft,” a senior Customs official said. Sources said the aircraft crew or persons entrusted the job of cleaning could be involved in smuggling the gold out of the airport. In last few months, Customs officials have caught several persons trying to smuggle gold from Middle East countries into the city. Last month, a passenger was caught concealing gold plates in a lantern.
