Chennai: Two cases of smuggling of gold were registered and around 383 grams of gold worth Rs 12.7 lakh was seized by customs officials at the airport.
On Tuesday morning, Air Intelligence unit officers intercepted Vasanth Jay Raj (25) of Madurai, who had arrived from Sharjah by an Air India flight. On examination of his checked-in luggage, one circular gold ingot concealed ingeniously in a Bluetooth speaker and one gold strip concealed in a hair dryer and two gold strips concealed in a hair straightener and six gold links concealed in three wrist watches, all totally weighing 232 grams valued at Rs 7.7 lakh were recovered and the same seized under the Customs Act 1962.
Similarly, in another case on Monday morning, Fathima Bathul (43) of Colombo, who arrived from Colombo by an Air India flight was intercepted on suspicion.
During a search on her person, four gold cut bits weighing 154 grams valued at Rs 5 lakh, which was concealed in her rectum were recovered and the same seized under the Customs Act 1962.
A total of 386 grams of gold valued at Rs 12.7 lakh was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act 1962. Investigation is under progress.
