CHENNAI: Air intelligence sleuths have foiled bids to smuggle gold worth `1.36 crore and $10,000 at Chennai airport. One person was arrested. On Saturday, Mohamed Yasin, 24, of Tiruchy and Sheik Abdullah, 27, of Madurai, who arrived from Dubai by IndiGo and Air India flights respectively, were intercepted at the exit. On their personal search, six bundles of gold in rubbery spread (three from each) were recovered from their rectum.
On extraction, 909 grams of gold worth Rs 36 lakh was recovered. In a separate incident on Thursday, four passengers – Mohamed Azarudeen, 24, and Imthiyas, 21, from Ramanathapuram and Azarutheen, 24 and Abdul KalamAsath, 23, from Pudukkottai, had arrived from Colombo by Sri Lankan Airlines. Mohammed Imran Khan, 30, of Chennai, Mohamed Mansur Ali, 30, and Khan Mohamed, 41, both of Ramanathapuram arrived from Singapore by Air India Express flight, Dubai by Indigo Airlines and Gulf Air respectively.
They were intercepted on suspicion of carrying gold concealed on their person. On persistent questioning they admitted to have concealed gold in the form of rubbery material in their rectum. On extraction, totally two kg gold worth Rs 80 lakh was recovered and seized. One person was arrested. In two other cases, Mohamed Refaydeen, 22, of Pudukottai and Mohamed Ibrahim, 70, of Cuddalore, who arrived by Emirates Airlines flight and Indigo flight from Dubai and Colombo were intercepted at exit.
A personal search yielded 65 grams of gold cut bits concealed in trouser pockets and five bundles of gold in rubbery spread concealed in their rectum. After extraction, 678 grams of gold worth Rs 27 lakh was seized. On further examination, five refurbished laptops and 5,600 sticks of cigarettes worth Rs 81,000 were recovered. In a separate case, Abdeen, 67, of Ramanathapuram who was bound for Singapore, via Colombo, by Sri Lankan Airlines was intercepted at the departure terminal. On personal search 10,000 US Dollars equivalent to Rs 7 lakh was found concealed in his leather chappals. The same was seized.