BHUBANESWAR: The
Customs sleuths on Friday seized Rs 10 lakh worth of gold from two passengers, who had hidden it in the wheel of the luggage trolley at
Biju Patnaik International Airport here. The gold seizure from the
Kuala Lumpur passenger was reported after a lull of one and half months.
“The air intelligence wing of the Customs foiled the smuggling bid. After landing, we suspected their body language. On interrogation, it was revelaed that they were from Chennai and returned in
Air Asia flight (AK-31). We searched their personal belongings and found foreign origin gold bars,” said assistant commissioner of Customs
B B Pattanaik.
The gold weighed 340.070 grams. “They were in the shape of cylinders,” Pattanaik added. Further investigation in this regard is on.
Officials said last seizure of gold by customs was made in June when the sleuths seized gold worth Rs 31 lakh from two passengers coming from Bangkok and Dubai. This was the second largest haul after May 7, when the sleuths seized Rs 1.8 cr worth of smuggled yellow metal.
In most of the cases, the smuggled gold bars were found hidden in rectum of the passengers. The smuggled gold was also found in the form of chain and kadas. “The passengers claim that they carry the gold for personal use, an usual plea taken by them upon being caught red-handed,” said a Customs officer.
In June, after a passenger claimed the gold for personal use, the sleuths checked the quality of the gold in a laboratory and found that they had more than 99% purity. “In case of 99 per cent purity, it is impossible that any ornament can be made from it,” said an officer.
In June first week, the sleuths had seized Rs 19 lakh of gold.
