CHENNAI: Customs personnel have arrested seven persons and foiled a bid to smuggle 4.77 kg gold worth Rs 2.41 crore at the Chennai Airport. Based on a tip-off, Mohammed Rabeek (25) of Ramanathapuram, Mohamed Yazeer Khan (23) of Chennai, Mujeebur Rahman (34) and Bilal (33) both from Tiruchy, who arrived from Dubai were intercepted.
Following a personal search, four gold cut bits (198 gm), four gold chains and six gold paste packets were recovered from their jeans.
Twelve Iphones, cigarettes, health supplements valued at Rs 9.8 lakh were also recovered from their handbags. Eight bundles of gold paste weighing 1.9 kg were recovered from the rectum of Mujeebur and Bilal, which on extraction yielded 1.72 kg gold. Both of them and Rabeek were arrested. In a separate incident, Fasil Rahuman (27) and Ashok Kumar (22) both from Ramanathapuram, and Mathan Kumar (26) of Puddukottai, who arrived by Fly Dubai were intercepted.
On personal search, seven bundles of gold paste weighing 1.52 kg were recovered from the rectum, which yielded 1.38 kg gold after extraction. A 49-gram gold chain was also recovered. Iphones and cigarettes valued at Rs 9.35 lakh were also recovered from their handbags. All the three were arrested. In another case, Mohamed Vaaris (25) of Chennai and Ihsanullah (32) of Ramanathapuram who arrived from Sharjah were intercepted and three bundles of gold paste were recovered from them.
One Sayed Mohamed of Madurai, who arrived by Emirates flight, was also intercepted at exit. Six gold chains concealed in a handbag, two gold washers and a gold coin ingeniously concealed, two wrist watches weighing 526 gm and valued at Rs 26.5 lakh were seized from him, and he was arrested. Meanwhile, undeclared foreign currencies worth Rs 5.13 lakh were seized from Rasuldeen (29) of Sivaganga while he was about to leave for Dubai. A total of 5,000 pounds and 500 Singapore dollars were seized from him.