Gold bars worth Rs 31.73L seized at Cochin airport

KOCHI: Gold bars valued at `31 lakh were seized at the Cochin International Airport here, Customs officers said on Sunday.

The Air Intelligence Unit effected the seizure of nine gold bars, weighing a total of 1.04 kg and worth `31.73 lakh from a passenger who arrived at Kochi from Dubai by an Indigo Flight.

Sumit Kumar, Commissioner of Customs, said Customs sleuths intercepted the passenger, a native of Kasargod, at the exit gate of the airport’s arrival hall on the basis of suspicion.

A search found gold bars concealed among his personal belongings. “The gold bars were seized under the provisions of Customs Act, 1962, and the passenger was arrested,” Kumar said. Earlier this week, Customs officers had seized four crude gold chains weighing 699.5 gram and valued at `21.08 lakh from the Cochin Airport.