Customs officials seize over 4 kg of gold at two airports

Customs officials today seized gold weighing 4.3 kg and valued at over Rs one crore being smuggled into the country and took into custody nine persons at two airports.
Around 3.5 kg of gold bars was seized from eight passengers who arrived from Singapore in Thiruvananthapuram airport while customs officials at Chennai airport recovered 800 grams gold biscuits from a Sri Lankan national, official sources said.
The contraband seized at Thiruvananthapuram and valued around Rs one crore was concealed under shawls, they said.
The eight passengers, who were taken into custody, hailed from Pudukotai and Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, the sources said adding they had gone on a tour to Singapore.

Investigation was on to ascertain whether these persons were carrying the gold for some other persons, they said.
Security and checking has been tightened at the airport in view of the gold smuggling case also involving customs officials at Nedumbassery Airport in Kochi came to light recently.
In Chennai, Mohammad Nawas was arrested after he attempted to pass through customs carrying undeclared gold weighing 800 grams after arriving from Colombo.
During interrogation, he revealed that a person in Chennai had promised to buy the gold, the sources said adding he was arrested.