CHENNAI: Chennai Air Customs seized 1.45 kg gold worth Rs 78.4 lakh and arrested a Dubai-returnee on Saturday. Air Customs Commissioner Rajan Chaudhary said that based on specific intelligence, officials seized the gold from a passenger’s personal goods that had arrived at the Unaccompanied Baggage Terminal of the airport.
A passenger had arrived from Dubai and came for clearance of his personal goods which arrived by IndiGo flight 6E 9480 as unaccompanied baggage.
On opening the cartons, bedspreads and toy boxes were found among other items. The bedspread was wrapped around a cardboard sheet, which appeared to be unusually heavy.
On tearing a cardboard sheet, gold foil wrapped in carbon paper was found concealed in between the two layers of the sheet. Similar cardboard sheets were found with the toy boxes as well. On opening the sheets, gold foils were found concealed inside them.
In total, 10 gold foils weighing 1.45 kg valued at Rs 78.4 lakh were recovered and seized under the Customs Act, 1962. The passenger, hailing from Kallakurichi, was working as an electrician in Dubai and had lost his job during Covid crisis. He was arrested.
Rs 78.4 lakh
Air Customs seized 1.45 kg gold worth Rs 78.4 lakh and arrested a Dubai-returnee. Officials seized the gold from a passenger’s personal goods that had arrived at the Unaccompanied Baggage Terminal of the airport