CHENNAI, Sept 11:
Customs officials seized 1.5 kg gold worth Rs 61.1 lakh and laptops at the Anna International airport here and a Malaysian woman was arrested on Wednesday. A release from the office of the commissioner of customs said based on specific information, the officers intercepted one Vijayaragavan (33) of Trichy, who arrived from Singapore via Mumbai by Indigo Airlines flight on suspicion of carrying gold. On examination of his hand baggage three rectangular gold bars with foreign markings “Valcambi Suisse” totally weighing 300gms and valued at Rs 12 lakhs were found concealed and were later seized by the officials.
In another case one, Nur Lina Binti Abdullah (40) of Negeri Sembilan Malaysia, who had arrived by Air Asia flight, was intercepted at the exit of the arrival hall, on suspicion of carrying gold. On her personal search, she was found to have concealed gold in rubbery spread form in waist portion of her jeans and in sanitary pad worn by her.
After extraction, one gold ingot weighing 582 gms and valued at Rs 23 lakhs was recovered. She was arrested. In another two cases Mohamed Haroon Rasheed (46) and Rizwan Fazulhag (33), both from Chennai, arrived from Kuala Lumpur by an Air Asia flight.
Officials intercepted them and on their personal search, one of them was found to have concealed one gold cut bit weighing 130 gms in pant pocket and gold in the form of rubbery spread in his rectum. After extraction one gold ingot weighing 270 gms was recovered. Three gold cut bits totally weighing 269 gms were recovered from the other person.
Totally, 669 gms of gold valued at Rs 26.6 lakhs was recovered. Further, on examination of their checked-in luggage resulted in recovery of 20 used/refurbished laptops valued at Rs one lakh. Thus a total of 1.5 kg gold worth 61.6 lakhs and laptops worth Rs one lakh were recovered and the same were seized under the Customs Act, 1962. (UNI)