Custom officials seize 764 grams of gold at Mangaluru Airport, one arrested

MANGALURU: Custom officials at Mangaluru International Airport had a profitable weekend busting two cases of gold smuggling and arresting a passenger in one of the cases. Officials recovered 764.30 grams of gold of 24 carat purity in powder/paste and foil strip forms valued at Rs 25.37 lakh. The passenger from whom 647 grams of gold was seized valued at Rs 21.48 lakh was produced before the principal senior civil judge following arrest.
In the first instance, officials intercepted a passenger who arrived from Dubai by Air India Express flight IX814 on Saturday on a tip off. During personal search, they recovered foreign origin gold in powder/paste form of 24 carat purity weighing 647 grams that was concealed in the inner garments worn by the passenger. Since gold seized was above Rs 20 lakh, the arrested passenger was produced before court, which granted him bail against surety.
In the second instance, officials seized the foreign origin gold of 24 carat purity weighing 117.30 grams valued at Rs 3.89 lakh. This was concealed in the form of foil strip inside metal support frame of check in trolley suitcase from the passenger who arrived from Dubai by Air India Express flight IX384 on June 7. The passenger was allowed to go and will be subjected to judicial process after a show cause notice is issued, custom sources said.