CHENNAI: Two persons were arrested and 1.8 kg of gold worth Rs 53 lakh was seized by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs department in three separate cases.
A passenger who arrived at Chennai from Doha by a Qatar Airways flight on Saturday was intercepted at the exit gate. During an examination of his checked-in baggage, gold foils covered with gum and carbon paper were recovered from a crayon box which he was carrying along with children’s slate and drawing board. Customs official said it weighed 795 grams and was worth Rs 22.80 lakh. The passenger Sirajuddin Neerkatti Poyil was arrested.
In another incident, Suresh Rajaram, who arrived here from Singapore by a Scoot Airlines flight, was arrested after nine gold bars weighing 947 grams worth Rs 27.90 lakh were seized on Friday. The gold was concealed inside his inner garments.
In the third instance, 32-year-old Mohammed Thasleem, who arrived here from Colombo by an Air India flight, was found carrying two gold cut bits and two gold rings in his rectum on Friday. The gold weighing 100 grams worth Rs 2.8 lakh was seized.
Gum covered gold foils
During an examination of checked-in baggage, gold foils covered with gum and carbon paper were recovered from a crayon box