Customs Department seize 1.6 kg gold from 6 passengers in Chennai

Two separate cases of Gold smuggling were detected at Chennai International Airport by officials on Monday, November 11. A total of 1.6 kg of gold worth Rs 59 lakh from six passengers was seized by the officials 

READ | Delhi: 56-yr-old man, Tajik woman held for smuggling gold at airport

231 grams of gold concealed in shoes and ball pens recovered

Naseem, 49, who arrived from Dubai, via Colombo was caught with 46 gold wires concealed in refills of ball pens. He also had 48 shoe eyelets made of gold concealed in his shoes. The officials said, they seized 231 grams of gold valued at Rs 8.6 lakh from him. 

READ | 1 held at Delhi airport for smuggling gold

1.36 kg of gold recovered from a group of five

In another case, Mohammed Ali Jinna, 69, and Saddam Hussain, 32 from Ramanathapuram, Vasanth, 31, of Chennai, and Ashraf Ali, 23, and Jabarullah Khan, 35, of Pudukkottai, who arrived from Colombo were also intercepted by the officials. Upon questioning, the group admitted to having concealed gold in the form of a rubbery paste in their rectums. A total of 1.36 kg of gold worth Rs 50.4 lakh was recovered from the group. 

Earlier, on November 6, Customs officials recovered 26.5 kilograms of Iranian Saffron valued at Rs 63.60 lakhs at the Chennai International Airport. Mohamed Javid Mushar (22) of Nagapattinam who had arrived at Chennai from Dubai via Muscat was questioned by the official after they noticed him moving suspiciously in the arrival hall. His bag contained Termes Saffron packets of Iranian origin in pouches of 25 grams each. The passenger was then arrested and further investigation into the case is being conducted said the officials. 

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