Gold worth Rs 61 lakh seized from passengers at Chennai airport

CHENNAI: Customs officials seized 1.45 kg gold, worth Rs 61 lakh, from four passengers at Chennai international airport on Tuesday and Monday.
In the early hours of Tuesday, based on specific information, the officials intercepted Umar Farook Ali, 56, of Ramanathapuram, who arrived here from Colombo in a SriLankan Airlines flight (UL 125). When searched, two bundles of gold paste were recovered from his rectum. On extraction, 270 grams of gold – worth Rs 11.37 lakh -- was recovered.
In the early hours of Tuesday, Noorul Ameen, 48, of Ramanathapuram, and Syed Mohamed,51,of Chennai, who arrived here from Dubai Emirates (EK542) and IndiGo (6E66) flights were intercepted.
Six bundles of gold paste were recovered from their rectums. Two gold cut bits, totally weighing 98 gram, were recovered from their pants pockets. A total 634 gram of gold, worth Rs 26.69 lakh, was recovered from them.
On Monday, Abbas, 34, of Chennai, who arrived here from Kuala Lumpur in a Batik Airlines flight (ID6018), was intercepted. Ten gold cut bits, weighing 547 gram and worth Rs 23 lakh, were found concealed his trolley bag.