Gold worth Rs 1.2 cr recovered from Dubai returnees

Coimbatore: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Tuesday extracted 2.6kg of gold worth Rs 1.2 crore that was smuggled through the Coimbatore International Airport in the form of paste on August 11 and arrested two Tirupur residents in connection with the case.
DRI had received a tip-off about a Dubai-based gang attempting to smuggle gold through the airport, deputy director G Satish said. “We confronted a Palladam-based couple who landed here in an Air India Express flight under Vande Bharat Mission from Dubai after they completed immigration, medical and customs formalities. As they appeared nervous and gave contradictory answers, they were subjected to personal search. We recovered three packets stitched to their innerwear that contained gold in paste form,” the official said.
“The couple, who visited the gulf country in March, was stuck there due to the Covid-19 pandemic. When they ran out of money and were struggling, a gang offered them accommodation and booked flight tickets to India,” the official said. “Smugglers are bringing in gold in paste form to dodge metal detectors and X-ray machines.”
The couple was arrested on Tuesday after completing the 14-day quarantine, under the Customs Act, 1962. The gold was extracted in their presence.