CHENNAI: Gold weighing 1.4kg valued at 44 lakh was seized by
customs officials at the international airport in four separate smuggling cases on Wednesday. One man was arrested.
According to a statement from the principal commissioner of customs, a 45-year- old passenger,
Yusuff Chatholi of Palakkad, who arrived from Dubai by
Emirates Airlines Flight EK 544, was intercepted at the exit of the arrival hall. During a search, a yellow-coloured rubbery spread wrapped in plastic covers, fastened around his waist beneath his shirt, was seized. Suspecting the rubbery spread to be of gold, a gold appraiser was called to extract and examine the same.
The gold appraiser extracted 693 grams gold of 24-carat purity valued at 21 lakh. Chatholi was arrested.
In another case,
Mohamed Ishak and
Mohammed Rizan, both citizens of
Colombo, were intercepted on suspicion of carrying gold. During examination of their checked-in baggage, six motorcycle handle levers were found. On dismantling the levers, six cylindrical gold rods weighing a total of 598 grams valued at 18 lakh were recovered.
Thayaparan Shanmuganathan from Colombo was also held on suspicion of carrying gold. During examination of his checked-in baggage, two gold rods, concealed inside the handle of the stroller suitcase, were recovered. The rods weighed 159.5 grams and are valued at 5 lakh. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
Representative image
