Gold worth Rs 33.7 lakh, drone seized at Chennai airport
Dec 17, 2020
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 17 : Customs officials recovered a total of 667 gm gold worth Rs 33.7 lakh, 50 cartons of cigarette, and a drone worth Rs 1.30 lakh in two separate seizures at Chennai International Airport on Thursday.
"Based on intelligence input, Abdul Saleem (61) of Tiruchirapalli and Kader Meeran (45) of Oddanchatram, who arrived from Dubai, were intercepted at the exit on suspicion of smuggling gold. On personal search, two gold chains weighing a total of 152 grams valued at Rs 7.7 lakh were recovered. On further examination of their check-in luggage, a cardboard box and 10 white plastic sheets weighing 613 grams containing gold dust wrapped in carbon paper were found. As much as 235 grams of gold valued at Rs 12 lakh was recovered," read an official press release.
In another case, five gold cut bits weighing 280 grams valued Rs 14 lakh were recovered from a Chennai resident, Jalalulla (46), who too arrived from Dubai by an Air India flight. On further examination of his check-in baggage, 50 cartons of Esse Lights cigarettes and a drone valued at Rs 1.30 lakh were recovered and seized under the Customs Act, the release added.
This is the third occurrence of seizure of gold at Chennai International Airport in the last 10 days. On Sunday, the Customs officials seized gold worth Rs 23.6 lakh at the airport. The common thread in all these cases is that the passengers arrived from Dubai.
