CHENNAI: Air Intelligence Unit sleuths of the Customs department foiled bids to smuggle gold worth Rs 12.7 lakh at the Chennai Airport.
On Tuesday morning, AIU officers intercepted Vasanth Jay Raj, 25, of Madurai, who had arrived from Sharjah by Air India flight at the exit of arrival hall on suspicion of carrying gold.
On examination of his checked-in luggage, one circular gold ingot concealed ingeniously in a Bluetooth speaker, one gold strip concealed in a hair dryer and two gold strips concealed in a hair straightener and six gold links concealed in three wrist watches, weighing 232 grams valued at Rs 7.7 lakh were recovered.
In a separate incident on Monday night, AIU officials intercepted Sri Lankan passenger Fathima Bathul, 43, who had arrived from Colombo by Air India flight and during a search, four gold cut bits weighing 154 grams worth Rs 5 lakh, were recovered.