CHENNAI: Six persons were arrested at Chennai Airport while attempting to smuggle gold and foreign currency hidden under their wig.
The Customs department has seized 5.5 kilograms of gold worth Rs 2.53 crore and foreign currency worth Rs 24 lakh.
According to the official statement, Magroob Akbarali (39) of Ramanathapuram and Zubair Hassan Rafiyutheen (26) of Chennai were intercepted at the exit since their hairstyles looked suspicious.
On examination, it was found that they wore wigs and had partly tonsured heads. Two gold paste packets weighing 698 grams were found concealed under their wigs.
In a similar incident that took place on Friday, Syed Ahamedulla (22) of Ramnathapuram, Santhosh Selvam (33) of Salem and Abdullah (35) of Chennai were arrested for concealing gold in their wigs when they landed from Dubai and Sharjah. Three gold paste packets weighing 2410 grams were found concealed
Four Sharjah-bound passengers were arrested for hiding foreign currency under their wigs. On searching, the officials recovered 67500 Saudi Riyals. The passengers had also hidden 4750 USD, 6500 Dirhams, 800000 Takas in their pants that equals to Rs 24.06 lakh.
In another case, a 42-year-old man who arrived in Chennai from Dubai was searched and three bundles of gold paste were recovered from his rectum.
On Saturday, four packets of gold paste weighing 1.5 kg were recovered from one Anbazhagan (24) of Villupuram. The gold was concealed inside his socks and stitched inside his undergarments. One Thamin Ansari (26) who approached Anbazhagan to take the gold was also arrested.
In another case, eight to 10 tola gold bars with foreign marking weighing 933 grams and valued at Rs 43.30 lakhs were found in a cloth bag which was concealed in the hollow pipe beneath one of the aircraft seats.