Customs seizes gold worth Rs 48 lakh at Kochi airport
Jul 23, 2023
Ernakulam (Kerala) [India], July 23 : The Customs department seized 1.005 kg of gold worth Rs 48 lakhs at Cochin International Airport on Sunday. The gold was recovered from a passenger who came from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said officials.
According to officials, the seized gold, which was concealed by the passenger in the waistband of his pant and a specially stitched pocket of his undergarment, was in paste form.
"A passenger coming from Kuala Lumpur to Cochin International Airport by flight AK039 was intercepted at the green channel based on the profiling done by officers. During the examination of the said passenger, two transparent polythene packets concealed inside the waistband of the pants and one transparent polythene packet concealed inside a specially stitched pocket of the undergarment, containing gold in paste form, totally weighing 1005 grams were recovered and seized," said a Customs official, adding that further investigations of this case are going on.
Earlier on July 11, Customs officials seized gold weighing 554.600 grammes from a passenger at Cochin International Airport. The passenger was concealing the gold inside his rectum, the officials said.
The detained passenger, identified as Muhammad Ali Gafoor, was travelling from Malaysia to Kochi when the officials intercepted him.
This month earlier, officials said the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Trichy International Airport intercepted a male passenger and seized 382.00 grams of 24-carat gold worth Rs 22.52 lakh.
According to the official, the gold was seized from a male passenger has arrived from Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday by Malindo Airlines (Flight No. OD223).
In June, two youths were arrested for allegedly possessing gold worth Rs 1.07 crores in their underwear at Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, said customs officials.
Both the youth coming from Sharjah were checked by customs officials on having suspension after which gold, hidden in their underwear was recovered, said officials further.
