BHUBANESWAR: The Customs department seized around 1 kg gold in capsule form from a resident of Maharashtra after he arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here from Bangkok.
Sources said the department’s air intelligence unit had received information of a person smuggling gold based on which the Customs officials intercepted him when he arrived at the airport on Tuesday afternoon. They recovered the gold in the form of three capsules from his rectum.
Besides, a gold ring and a piece of gold concealed under his watch were also seized from the accused. “It is very difficult to detect a person smuggling gold in capsule form. Such cases are mostly detected after receiving specific intelligence” said a Customs official.
The department said that the accused might have turned gold paste into capsule form to smuggle it into the country. He was booked under the Customs Act, sources said.
Sources said Customs officials are investigating whether the accused had smuggled the gold for himself or the consignment was supposed to be delivered to someone else. Usually, smugglers get gold from Dubai or Bangkok. Many of them carry gold paste in cylindrical capsule form, said sources.