On Thursday, the Chennai International Airport saw significant amount of recoveries of goods that were being illegally carried by passengers entering and exiting India. The airport authorities seized 2.6 kilograms of gold worth Rs 1 crore, and US currency worth $10,000 from ten people in a single day.
According to a press statement released by the Air Intelligence Unit, Chennai Airport, 10 passengers who arrived at Chennai International Airport from different countries were intercepted at the exit by the officials. Of them, seven passengers -- who had arrived at Chennai from Colombo, Dubai and Singapore through various airlines -- were intercepted based on suspicions that they were smuggling gold by concealing it in their bodies.
“On persistent questioning they admitted to have concealed gold in the form of rubbery material in their rectum,” read the press statement. The Customs officials recovered around two kilograms of 24-carat gold valued around Rs 80 lakh from the seven men. The officials also arrested one person.
In the second seizure, the Customs officials intercepted two men who had arrived from Dubai and Colombo at the exit on suspicions that they were carrying undeclared items. “On personal search, 65 grams of gold cut bits concealed in pant pockets and five bundles of gold in rubbery spread concealed in their rectum were recovered. After extraction, 678 grams of gold, valued at Rs 27 lakhs were recovered and seized under the Customs Act,” the statement said. The officials also seized five refurbished laptops and 5,600 cigarettes worth Rs 81,000 from the duo.
Further, Customs authorities intercepted a man who was on his way to Singapore at the departure terminal. The officials recovered $10,000 (around Rs 7 lakh) from him, which he had hidden in his chappals. The Air Intelligence Unit also stated that investigation is underway on the matter.
This is not the first time that the authorities have foiled plots by people who try to smuggle gold by concealing it in their rectums. Last week, the Customs authorities recovered almost one kilogram of gold -- in the form of jewellery and gold paste -- worth Rs 37 lakh from a man and a woman who had arrived from Colombo, Sri Lanka.