Kerala: Gold worth over Rs 2 cr seized at Kochi airport, 2 persons arrested

Kochi (Kerala) [India], November 25 (ANI): Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs department on Thursday arrested two domestic travellers, with fake passports and seized gold worth over Rs 2 crore at Kochi airport.
Based on secret information, officers of the Kochi Customs department nabbed the travellers, identified as Syed Abuthahir and Barakaththullah A, who hail from Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu and were travelling in the name of Vasudevan and Arul Selvam respectively.
The drugs seized by the Customs were valued at Rs 2.60 crore weighing 6.45 Kg.
The duo was intercepted after an intimation was recieved. The gold was skillfully concealed in the form of ten capsules in the handbags of both of them. During preliminary interrogation, they stated that the hand luggage was handed over by a Sri Lankan national at the security hall of the Mumbai airport,” officials said.
“With the help of some people at the Mumbai airport, they smuggled the gold brought from the Gulf without customs inspection,” the official’s statement read.
A case has been registered against both of them under the non-bailable section.
Custom’s investigation into this matter is underway.
Further information is awaited.
Earlier this month, the Customs department’s Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) seized around 422 grams of gold worth more than Rs 38 lakh at the Kochi airport.
“In order not to be recognized, a special pocket was made in the underwear and gold was sewn inside of that,” the customs said.
The gold was seized from passengers coming from Dubai. (ANI)