Chennai: Gold worth Rs 44.4 lakh smuggled from foreign countries was seized by the customs at the Chennai airport. Nearly 1.36 kg of gold was seized.
According to airport sources, on Tuesday based on a tip-off, the officials had stopped Abdul Rahim( 46) of Chennai, who had arrived from Dubai by Emirates Airlines. During a personal search, a gold chain weighing 60 grams was found concealed in his trouser pocket and two bundles of gold in rubbery material were found concealed in the rectum. After extraction 130 grams of gold were recovered. Total 190 grams of gold valued at Rs.6.19 lakh were recovered and the same was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
In the second case, Mohamed Iqbal( 42) of Pudukkottai who arrived from Colombo by Sri Lankan Airlines was intercepted on suspicion. During his personal search, two bundles of gold in rubbery material were found concealed in his rectum. On extraction 202 gram gold valued at Rs. 6.58 lakhs was recovered and the same was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
In the third case on the same day Riyas Ahamed( 27) of Chennai, who had from Doha via Muscat by Oman Air flight was stopped. During his personal search 1,400 grams gold were found concealed in a specially stitched black coloured cotton belt tied over his underwear. On extraction by heat treatment, 972-gram gold valued at Rs. 31.66 lakh was recovered. The same was seized under the provisions of Customs Act, 1962. The passenger was arrested. Further investigation is on.
