KOCHI: The Air Intelligence Unit of Customs recovered 2.67 kilograms of gold in 7 separate cases from Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) during the Deepavali season from November 2 to 8. The gold seized is worth R78.04 lakh.
The major cases include the seizure of three crude gold chains weighing 679.500 grams from a Palakkad native who arrived from Dubai. The passenger had concealed the gold in his underwear. Another case was seizure of gold chains and bangles weighing 602.400 grams hidden in a checked-in baggage belonging to a passenger from Thrissur who arrived from Dubai. In another case, 650 grams of thick brown paste was seized from a Koduvally native female passenger who arrived from Sharjah. She had concealed the gold inside her dress. The gold in paste form is under extraction and evaluation process.
Last month, Customs officers had recovered gold amounting to 3,990 grams worth R1.90 crore in two separate incidents. The gold was extracted from a thick brown paste weighing 5,964 grams. The passengers in both the cases were arrested and released on bail. The seizures have been made under the provision of the Customs Act.
ATM heists accused brought to Kochi
Kochi: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the twin ATM robberies at Irumpanam and Koratty brought the two arrested from Rajasthan and Haryana to the Hill Palace police station. Haneef Khan, 37, of Jurehra in Rajasthan, and Nazeem Akbar, 24, of Mewat in Haryana, who have been arraigned as the first and third accused were brought to the station on Friday evening. Pappu Palsingh aka Pappy, the second accused who remains lodged in Tihar Jail after being arrested by the Delhi Crime Branch in a motorcycle theft case, will be produced before the Tripunithura court on November 14, based on a production warrant.