Gold worth Rs 47 lakh seized from 2 passengers in Kochi airport

The gold that was smuggled from Malaysia and Sharjah into Kochi airport. Photo: Special Arrangement

Kochi: Customs sleuths on Wednesday seized gold worth Rs 47.2 lakh from two passengers at Kochi airport. 

In the first case, Thaneswaran Kuppuswamy, who had arrived from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia by Malindo Airlines, was found carrying 710.39g of gold worth Rs 37.22 lakh. 

During the personal search procedure, Customs officials recovered three crude gold chains weighing 567.41g, two gold pendants weighing 40.58g of 24 carats and a gold bangle weighing 102.4g of 22 carats.

The gold was concealed under the clothes worn by Kuppuswamy. The accused confessed that he agreed to smuggle the gold for a remuneration of Rs 30,000.

In the second case, Customs officials intercepted Mohammed Rasheed, of Palakkad, who had arrived from Sharjah on an Air India Express flight with gold worth Rs 10 lakh in his possession. 

During the personal search, two rectangular-shaped packets each of gold in compound form, weighing a total of 136.6g were found pasted underneath the sole of both the feet of the passenger. 

Upon further examination, two crude chains weighing 60.2g were found concealed inside a customised cavity stitched to the waistline of the jeans worn by the passenger.

Further investigation is underway in both cases, Customs said.

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