The Air Intelligence Units (AIU) of two airports in Kerala on Thursday seized lakhs worth of gold that was smuggled by five passengers from Gulf countries. While the AIU of the Trivandrum International Airport confiscated over one kilogram of gold smuggled by three people, two were nabbed in Calicut International Airport for smuggling 564 grams of gold from Sharjah.
Of the three passengers from Trivandrum airport, two who were from Dubai but natives of Kasaragod, smuggled 932 gram of gold. The gold was smuggled in the form of 464 grams by one person and 468 grams by the second passenger, both of which were hidden in the frame of their suitcases. The gold was hidden in the shape of thin wires. Forty five cartons of cigarettes and four I-phones were seized from the duo.
AIU Trivandrum seized 464 & 468gms gold, 45 Cartons of cigarettes & 4 iPhones from 2 pax who arrived from Dubai. Gold was concealed in the frame of trolley bags.
— Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive), Cochin (@ccphqrskochi) August 13, 2020
Both pax have been arrested & further investigation is in progress.@cbic_india
@cgstcustvm pic.twitter.com/B4RkS2Zq9z
Meanwhile, 77.2 grams of gold, in the form of four biscuits, were being smuggled and was seized from a third passenger in Trivandrum airport.
In the Calicut International Airport located in Karipur, two passengers from Sharjah were caught with 564 grams of smuggled gold. A major chunk of this amounting to 334 grams was smuggled as gold compounds resembling paste, while the rest was worn as ornaments by the passengers. “The gold compound was hidden inside the socks of passengers. Further investigations are in process,” said an official statement. On Wednesday the AIU in the Kannur International Airport also confiscated 564 grams of gold from two passengers from Sharjah. The gold was smuggled hidden in the frames of umbrellas and inside ink pens. The Customs officials had tweeted the video of hidden gold being confiscated from the umbrella and pen.
It was through the Trivandrum International Airport that the accused persons in the sensational Kerala gold smuggling case, smuggled 30 kg of gold through a camouflaged diplomatic baggage. The incident had unfoiled as a major political storm against the Kerala government with key accused persons having alleged to have close relations with some top officials. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Principal Secretary M Sivasankar IAS was ousted from the position and suspended from the service following the allegations.