Gold worth Rs 17L seized in city airport

| | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

Customs sleuths took in detention a non-resident Indian (NRI) woman from the airport here for allegedly carrying stolen gold worth Rs 17 lakh. She came from Bangkok with a Thailand passport.

The gold chains and bangles were given a silver coating in order to mislead airport officials.

As per reports, the woman’s movement raised suspicion among the Custom officials.  On frisking her body and baggage, the officials found the silver coated gold ornaments.

Officials informed that there has been a rise in cases of gold smuggling via Bhubaneswar airport especially during the last five months. On April 9, 700 grams of gold worth around Rs 22 lakh kept inside a mixer grinder was seized. Similarly, 180 gm gold worth Rs 5.66 lakh was seized on April 1. Earlier, three gold bars and 143 gold rings worth over Rs 12 lakh had been seized from two passengers hailing from Maharashtra on March 28. Gold biscuits weighing 1.2 kg worth Rs 34.90 lakh was also confiscated from two passengers travelling from Dubai.