KOCHI: Despite repeated seizures and arrests, there has been no let-up in bids to smuggle gold through the Cochin International Airport. Since May 24, the Customs Intelligence officers at the airport foiled eight smuggling attempts and seized 2.689 kg of gold worth `78.45 lakh.
Four gold biscuit weighing a total 466.56 g were seized on May 24 from a passenger who arrived from Muscat. He had concealed the yellow metal in a specially-stitched pouch inside his pants. The same day, a crude gold chain weighing 349.5 g was also seized from a passenger who arrived from Riyadh. He had concealed the gold bars inside mobile chargers. The officers seized 443.2 g of crude gold ornament from a woman who arrived from Bahrain.
A passenger from Malappuram was caught smuggling two gold bars weighing 699.60 g. The seizures were made under the provisions of the Customs Act.