Gold worth Rs 1 crore seized from passengers at Chennai airport

CHENNAI: Customs officials on Thursday seized 2.6 kg of gold , worth Rs 1 crore, and US$10,000 from passengers at Chennai airport .

Mohamed Azarudeen,24, and Imthiyas,21, of Ramanathapuram, and Azarutheen, 24, and Abdul Kalam Asath, 23, of Pudukkottai, who arrived here from Colombo in a SriLankan Airlines flight, and Mohammed Imran Khan, 30, of Chennai and Mohamed Mansur Ali, 30, and Khan Mohamed, 41, of Ramanathapuram, who arrived here from Singapore and Dubai, were intercepted.

On persistent questioning they admitted to having concealed gold in the form of rubbery material in their rectums. On extraction, a total of 2kg of gold worth Rs 80 lakh was recovered. One of the passengers was arrested.

Mohamed Refaydeen,22, of Pudukkottai and Mohamed Ibrahim, 70, of Cuddalore, who arrived here in an Emirates Airlines flight and an Indigo flight from Dubai and Colombo, respectively, were intercepted at the exit. The officials searched the passengers and 65 gram of gold cut bits concealed in their pant pockets and five bundles of gold in rubbery spread concealed in their rectums were recovered.

After extraction, 678 gramof gold worth Rs 27 lakh was recovered.

On further examination, five refurbished laptops and 5,600 sticks of cigarettes valued at Rs 81,000 were recovered.

On Thursday night, Abdeen, 67, of Ramanathapuram who was bound to Singapore via Colombo in a SriLankan Airlines flight was intercepted at the departure terminal. On personal search, US$10,000 equivalent to Rs 7 lakh was found concealed inside his leather chappals.