Chennai: Customs staff at the airport seized gold and foreign cigarettes worth Rs 97,75,000 on Monday. According to airport sources, Noor Ayesha (39) of Cuddalore who had arrived from Singapore was intercepted on suspicion. During a personal check, gold bangles weighing 390 grams valued at Rs 14 lakh were recovered from her innerwear and seized under the Custom Act, 1962.
In another case on the same day, three passengers, Sheikh Dawood (33) Syed Aputhakir (33) and Sahul Hameed (39) of Ramanathapuram, who had arrived from Dubai by an Air India flight were intercepted, 1 kilogram of gold valued at Rs. 37.8 lakh recovered from them. On examination of their checked-in luggage, 31 cartons of Gudang Garam cigarettes valued at Rs. 75, 000 were also recovered and seized under the Custom Act, 1962. Sources said that Syed Aputhakir was arrested as he had an earlier offence booked against him.
Another passenger from Ramanathapuram, Sheikh Madhar Sahib (40) who had arrived from Colombo by a Spice Jet flight, was intercepted when officials found something suspicious in his trouser pocket. During a search gold was seized from him.
In yet another case, Maiden of Ramanadhapuram (51) who had arrived from Dubai via Colombo by Sri Lankan airlines was intercepted at the exit. On a search of his person, gold in rubbery form was found concealed in this rectum and one gold cut found in his trouser pocket recovered. 245 grams of gold valued at Rs. 9 lakhs was recovered and seized under the provision of the Custom Act, 1962.
Earlier on Sunday, Mohammed Yasar Arapath (25) from Thondi who arrived from Colombo by an Air India flight was intercepted at the exit. On a personal search, he was found to have concealed of gold in rubbery paste form in his rectum. On extraction, gold 202 gms valued at Rs 7.3 lakhs was recovered and seized under the Custom Act, 1962. Further investigations are on.
