Gold worth Rs 82.3 lakh seized at Chennai airport

CHENNAI: Customs officials at the Chennai international airport seized 1.48kg of gold worth Rs 82.3 lakh from passengers who arrived from Dubai on Tuesday. This is one of the first cases of gold smuggling detected at the airport since the outbreak of Covid-19.
On Tuesday morning, airport officials intercepted Khaleel Ahamed, a 24-year-old man who arrived from Dubai in an Air India Express flight (IX-1644). A packet gold paste, which was concealed in his underpants, was recovered. On extraction, 280 gram of gold valued at Rs 15.60 lakh was recovered and seized.
Outside the airport on Monday night, air intelligence officers apprehended two other persons, who panicked and started running. When they were checked, five packets of gold paste were recovered. They were identified as Kaja Mohideen,39, and S Peer Mohideen, 33, both from Chennai.
They confessed that the packets were handed over to them by five passengers who had arrived from Sharjah by Air India flight AI-1984.
The passengers also confirmed they had handed over one packet to each person. On extraction, gold weighing 1.2 kg, valued at Rs 66.73 lakh, was recovered and seized. Both receivers were arrested.
A total of 1.48 Kg gold worth Rs 82.3 lakhs was recovered and seized under the Customs Act 1962.