Gold under bandage, stitched on jeans seized at Chennai airport

Chennai, Dec 6 (IANS) Chennai Air Customs on Sunday said it had seized gold worth Rs.7.5 lakh stuck under a medical bandage on a passenger's back.In a statement, the Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport, said on Sunday, Ahamed Anas who had arrived from Dubai by an Air India Express flight, was intercepted at exit gate by an alert customs officer on noticing an abnormal bulge on his upper back. On personal search, it was noticed that a big size medical bandage was stuck on his upper back.On removing the bandage, two packets of gold paste weighing 168 grams were recovered.On extraction, 147 grams of 24K purity gold valued at Rs. 7.5 lakh was recovered and seized under Customs Act.On Saturday, two passengers, identified as Jumma Khan and Mohamed Rafi who arrived from Dubai by Air India, were intercepted at the exit.On their personal search, four packets of gold paste in plastic pouches, weighing 176 grams, were found to be ingeniously stitched to the bottom portion of their jeans.On extraction, 142 grams of gold of 24K purity, valued at Rs 7.23 lakh, was recovered and seized under Customs Act.
--IANS vj/vd