The Air Intelligence Wing of Customs on Tuesday arrested an air traveller at Mangaluru International Airport smuggling gold into India and seized 633 grams of gold reportedly concealed in his rectum.

Joint Commissioner of Customs Joannes George told presspersons here that the team suspected the movement of Saifudheen Thekkil Pazhevalappil (23) of Kasaragod, who arrived from Dubai on Air India Express flight IX814, and screened him. He was found carrying 766 grams gold in capsule-form inside his rectum. The team could recover 633 grams of 24 karat gold worth ₹25,57,320 from him.

“Concealing gold in human body is among the modes that people resort to in smuggling. We are succeeding in busting every such module,” he said.

The team was led by Deputy Commissioner Raghavendra and comprised Superintendent H.V. Sreenath, Inspector Sinmaya Pradhan. Mr. Sreenath said sleuths were widening passenger profiles to be screened as the conduits were not just the frequent flyers but also those returning after two-three years gap.

Pazhevalappil was and produced before the Second Judicial Magistrate First Class Court which remanded him to judicial custody till February 25.

Other seizures

The Preventive wing of Customs comprising of Assistant Commissioner Rajesh Poojari, Superintendent Pradeep Kumar S. and Inspector Rohidas Naik on Tuesday seized 120 cartons of cigarettes under brand names Dunhill and Gudang Garam that were being illegally carried by a train passenger. The sleuths said the passenger had boarded a train to Pune from Kasaragod and got down at the Mangaluru Junction and was waiting for a train to Mumbai.

In a release, Customs Commissioner Baswaraj Nalegave said the Air Customs wing seized gold worth ₹6.38 crore in 52 smuggling cases between April 2019 to January 2020. The Customs have seized Foreign Currency valued at ₹33.48 lakh from seven passengers during the said period.

A total of 3,529 flights and 5,37,507 passengers were cleared and duty of Rs. 3.59 crore was collected, which included fine and penalty collected from the offenders. The Customs disposed of confiscated gold weighing 23.76 kg that fetched ₹9.54 crore in the period, he said.