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29 March 2024

Passengers nabbed for smuggling 15kg gold

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By Staff

Around 15 kg of gold, worth more than Dh2 million, was seized by custom officials in Chennai (India) from four passengers arriving from Dubai on Air India and Emirates fights over the past two days.

According to a news report in Indian daily Times of India, three passengers were on an Air India flight and the other arrived on an Emirates flight from Dubai, attempting to smuggle in the gold which was packed in small sachets and concealed inside knee caps worn just over socks on the shins.

Each of the passengers was reportedly carrying around 2kg of gold in each of their legs.

Indian customs officials got into action after receiving a tip-off that gold might be smuggled in from Dubai, and began monitoring passengers arriving on Air India flight at the international terminal on Saturday.

That’s when the officers found out that three passengers were attempting to smuggle in gold by concealing it inside knee caps. Around 16 bundles containing assorted pieces of jewellery like chains, ear rings, bangles and a gold bar weighing 12.2kg worth about Dh1.7m were seized from them.

After busting this attempt, Indian customs officers continued monitoring passengers arriving from Dubai on Sunday, and got suspicious of another passenger arriving from Dubai on an Emirates flight.

Subsequent checks revealed 3.12kg gold worth Dh440,000 in a similar manner adopted by the three passengers on Saturday. The four passengers were arrested under the Indian Customs Act. Chennai's customs commissioner Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said yesterday this was the biggest seizure of gold at the airport in recent times.