KOCHI: Customs officials on Wednesday foiled a bid to smuggle gold in a baggage that arrived on the air cargo at Kochi airport here. A Kasaragod native who reached the airport to collect the baggage was taken into custody.
The officials said this was the first instance of gold smuggling via air cargo detected at the airport. Around 500g of gold concealed inside a tin containing pain balms and in the collar of a churidar was seized.
“The baggage and goods arriving via the air cargo are checked using metal detectors and scanners at the airport before being dispatched. The baggage in which the gold was concealed was detected after a thorough inspection. The smuggler, perhaps believing that air cargos do not undergo proper inspections at the airport, adopted this method,” said an official. The baggage was sent from the UAE, said the official, adding, “We have received the sender’s details from the person taken into custody. A probe has been launched.”Customs has decided to enhance the inspection of air cargos in all airports in the state.