Chennai: Customs sleuths at the Chennai international airport on Saturday detected three cases of smuggling and seized Rs 33.7 lakh worth gold pieces, beauty enhancement drugs, iPhones, Apple watches and Intel processors.
According to airport sources, Murali Krishnaswamy (59), of Chennai, who arrived from Bangkok by Thai Air flight on Saturday, was intercepted on suspicion of carrying gold/cosmetic drugs.
On examination of his checked-in baggage, different types of beauty enhancement drugs were found. Five boxes of Placenta Luchini fresh cell therapy injections, 50 boxes of Supreme Gluta white tablets, 28 boxes Glutex 5GS microcellular ultra whitening kit and 24 boxes of Mixing white platinum antioxidant DNA repair and 10 boxes of Chronol 500 mg Disulfiram tablets, all valued at Rs 5 lakh were recovered, and the same was seized under the Customs Act read with Drugs and Cosmetics Act 2008 (as amended), as the passenger could not produce invoice and certificate issued by the Asstt. Drug Controller.
In another case the same day, Imran Khan (23), Chennai, who arrived by Air India flight from Dubai, was intercepted at the exit on suspicion of carrying gold and electronic items. On examination of his checked-in baggage, eight Apple watches - series 3, 620 Intel i3 processors, 3 Samsung gear watches, 4 iPhone XS valued at Rs 13.15 lakh, were found concealed and same recovered and seized under the Customs Act 1962.
In yet another case, Mohamed Ibrahim (33), who arrived from Singapore by Fly Scoot flight was intercepted at the exit on suspicion of carrying gold. On persistent questioning, Mohamed Ibrahim accepted to have concealed gold in the form of a rubbery spread inside his rectum. On extraction through heating process, gold weighing 404 grams valued Rs 15.61 lakh was recovered and seized under the provisions of the Customs Act 1962. Further investigations are on.
