CHENNAI: Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) sleuths of the Customs department have foiled bids to smuggle Rs 27 lakh worth gold and foreign currencies worth Rs 19 lakh at the Chennai International Airport.
Two passengers — Mohamed Hassali (27), and Subaiyar Ali (32) — both from Ramanathapuram, who arrived from Colombo on Monday, were intercepted at the exit of the arrival hall on suspicion of carrying gold. On personal search, gold in rubbery material was found concealed in their rectums. On extraction, two gold ingots weighing 590 grams and worth Rs 19.3 lakh were recovered.
In another incident, AIU officials intercepted Rahamathullah (41) of Chennai, who had arrived from Dubai and recovered 188-gram gold ingots concealed in a long polythene-like cover stitched in the inner waist portion of his trousers. A gold cut bit weighing 39 grams was also recovered. The gold recovered was worth Rs 7.42 lakh.
In yet another case, three passengers – Ajmath Khan Ali, 30, Mohamed Thowfeek, 31, and Abubakkar,30, all hailing from Tiruchy, who were bound for Dubai from Chennai by Air India flight AI 1905, were intercepted at the departure terminal after they had cleared immigration. A search on their hand baggage yielded an assortment of foreign currencies, said a Customs release.