The Air Intelligence Unit at the Cochin International Airport, on Thursday seized around 40 FM trans-receivers worth `6,00,000 from two passengers arrived by Srilankan Airlines Flight UL 167 from Colombo. The Indian Nationals residing in Tamil Nadu have been identified as Sri Saik Thawood and Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Abdulla.
They were trying to walk through the green channel with their check in and hand baggage when they were intercepted near exit gate. They were moving in a suspicious manner trying to avoid the attention of the customs officials, the customs authorities said.
“The seized FM receivers are normally used in fishing trawlers and by the operators of call taxies. The import of this item in commercial quantity in the guise of personal baggage is not permissible,’’ officials said.
On questioning and verification of travel documents it was revealed that they were frequent travellers visiting Singapore several time and one of them had brought similar goods through Cochin airport in August last year.
Deputy commissioners S A S Navaz and Kulkarni D V, superintendents V C Ajayakumar, K G Gireesh, T Pavithran and Rajagopalan Nair, inspectors Danish Agha and Rajakumar K were part of the team that led the operations.