Malappuram: The police arrested a six-member gang who arrived at the Kozhikode International Airport to receive gold which was smuggled from Qatar to Kerala here on Wednesday. The gold was worth Rs 56 lakhs. Labeeb (19), a resident of Kuttiyadi who smuggled the gold was also arrested by the police. The police acted on a tip-off received by the Malappuram District Police Chief S Sasidharan.

The police first took into custody Panoor natives Nidhin, Akhilesh and Mujeeb, who were found waiting near the entrance of the airport. The police then gathered information about the other gang members; Ajmal, Muneer and Najeeb, who were waiting outside the airport in a car.

Labeesh, had concealed gold weighing 760.6 grams inside his body in four capsules. The gang members, who waited outside the airport in a car suddenly left as soon as they learnt that their fellow members and the smuggler were missing. The police said the gang member Akhilesh has been involved in many criminal cases.