CHENNAI: Air Intelligence Unit sleuths of the Air Customs department foiled bids to smuggle 1 kg gold worth Rs 44.1 lakh at Chennai airport on Saturday. The officers intercepted Kalander Abbas (36) of Chennai after he arrived from Colombo in a Srilankan Airlines flight, and Asikdeen (24) also of Chennai, who arrived from Dubai in an Indigo Flight. Five packets containing gold paste were found concealed in their rectum. On extraction, 681 grams of gold worth `29.3 lakh was recovered and seized.
In another incident, Mohamed Sadusha (22) of Tiruchirappalli, who arrived from Singapore, was intercepted at exit. On personal search, two pouches of gold paste weighing 407 grams was found concealed inside specially stitched pockets on the bottom of his jeans. 344 gms valued at Rs 14.8 lakh was recovered. In total 1.025 kg gold worth Rs 44.1 lakh was recovered and seized.