Chennai: Customs officials at Chennai international airport on Monday seized gold worth Rs 27 lakh and foreign currency worth Rs 19 lakh in three separate cases.
According to airport sources, two passengers, Mohamed Hassali (27) and Subaiyar Ali (32) of Ramanathapuram arrived at the airport from Colombo by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight in the morning. They were intercepted by the Air Intelligence Unit officers at the exit of the customs arrival hall, on suspicion. A personal search revealed gold in rubbery form concealed in their rectums. Officials recovered a total of 590 grams grams of gold valued at Rs 19.3 lakh and seized it under the Customs Act 1962.
In another case, on Sunday morning, officials zeroed in on Rahamathullah (41) of Chennai who had arrived from Dubai by a Fly Dubai flight. Upon searching him, officials recovered polythene-like covers stitched to the inner waist portion of his trousers, in which Rahamathullah had kept 177 grams of gold valued at Rs 7.42 lakh.
Officials also found 2,800 sticks of a prominent cigarette brand valued at Rs 28,000 from his checked-in luggage and seized it under the Customs Act. The total value of the seizure was Rs 7.70 lakh.
In another case, officials intercepted three men who had arrived at the Chennai airport to board a flight to Dubai. The three, Ajmath Khan Ali, 30, Mohamed Thowfeek, 31 and Abubakkar, 30, from Trichirappali were searched on suspicion and officials found they were carrying foreign currencies equivalent to Rs 19.15 lakh. The same was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act 1962 and further investigation is in progress.
