25kg gold seized in largest ever haul at Tvm airport

Thiruvananthapuram: In a major haul, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 25kgs of gold worth Rs 8.5 crore from a passenger at the Trivandrum International Airport on Monday. It is the highest ever seizure of gold reported at the airport.
The passenger was identified as Sunil Kumar M (40), a native of Thirumala, who arrived in a flight from Muscat. A woman who had travelled along with Kumar was also detained by officials for interrogation. But sources said the DRI has not got any evidence to link her with the smuggling.
Kumar is a businessman who has travelled frequently between Thiruvananthapuram and various Middle East destinations.
The passenger reached Trivandrum Airport in a Muscat-Thiruvananthapuram Oman Air flight, WY 211, around 7.30am on Monday. Based on an intelligence information, officers of the DRI regional unit intercepted him on arrival at the airport.
The gold, in 25 biscuits weighing 1kg each, was found covered in aluminium foils in two packets in the two hand-baggage carried by the passenger.
“It is highest quantity of gold seized from a passenger at the airport. The passenger had gone to Muscat on a visit visa. Considering the permissible weight limit of hand lugguageallowed on a flight, it is being investigated how the passenger managed to take the bags in the aircraft,” said a DRI official.
The DRI has launched a probe after registering a case as per the Customs Act.
In another incident, gold worth Rs 18 lakh was seized from four passengers who arrived at the airport from Malaysia on Thursday. The gold in compound paste form was found concealed in the rectum of the passengers. Based on passenger profiling, the customs officers intercepted them and they confessed to the crime during interrogation.