Gold worth Rs 54 lakh seized from air passengers

In continuing anti-smuggling operations, Air Intelligence officials of the Customs at theInternational airport here today seized over 1.7 kg of goldvalued at Rs 54.65 lakh in three separate cases.
In the first case, 20 gold bar cut pieces totally weighing 756 grams valued at Rs 23.66 lakh were found concealed inside two hand mixers brought in the check-in baggage by a native of Kozhikode, who arrived from Jeddah, Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said.
In the second incident, sleuths found 16 gold bar cut pieces weighing 757 grams valued at Rs 23.69 lakh concealed inside hand mixers in the check-in baggage of a passenger, who arrived from Abu Dhabi by a private airliner, he added.

Both the passengers were arrested, Kumar said.
In the third case, the Customs sleuths recovered two gold biscuits weighing 233.2 gms and valued at Rs 7.3 lakh from a passenger who arrived from Muscat by an Air India Express flight.
The passenger, hailing from Kasargode district had concealed the gold biscuits in the socks he was wearing, Customs officials said.
Strengthening their campaign against smuggling rackets, Customs officials also effected seizure of foreign currency sent through post.
Officials from the Postal Appraising wing of Kochi Customs seized1,600 Euros worth Rs 1.3 lakh sent from Spain by post.