Chennai: Rs 90 lakh worth gold biscuits seized
Body search of the two led to discovery of 20 gold biscuits, each weighing 100 gm.
Chennai: The customs department on Wednesday apprehended two passengers who had flown in from Dubai and Muscat and seized three kg of gold biscuits hidden in their apparel. Chennai native Zaheera Mariam (39) and Kerala resident Prem Kumar (34) returned to Chennai via an Air India flight from Dubai and an Oman Airlines flight from Muscat on a tourist visa. As officials grew suspicious of their movement, they went through the duo’s baggage but could not find anything.
Subsequently, a body search of the two led to discovery of 20 gold biscuits, each weighing 100 gm, neatly decked inside the false of Mariam’s saree while Prem Kumar had hidden 10 biscuits in his inner vest. Kumar had also painted the biscuits black to avoid detection by scanning machines.
Customs officials estimated the worth of the valuables at Rs 90 lakh. An official told DC that after a brief lull, the number of gold smugglers passing through Chennai Airport are once again on the rise, coinciding with the festive season demand for gold ornaments.
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