KOCHI: The customs on Sunday thwarted attempts by carriers to smuggle in gold through unconventional means at Kochi airport.
In the first attempt, a person who arrived from Mali was nabbed for wearing sandals altered with gold strips. Officials said the accused, Kumar, a Kollam native, had attached gold strips on his slippers to avoid detection.
Customs officials on suspicion checked him and found the gold attached on the slippers which weighed nearly 1,032g and valued at Rs 49lakh. In another incident, a passenger from Dubai was nabbed for smuggling gold attached to his pants’ zip. The gold was seized from Mohammed of Palakkad and weighed around 47g.