CHENNAI: The Air Intelligence unit of the Customs department foiled bids to smuggle foreign currency worth Rs 46.45 lakh and gold worth Rs 5.92 lakh, in separate cases at Chennai Airport. A customs release said AIU officials detected two cases of gold smuggling on Wednesday night and one case of foreign currency on Thursday morning.
On Thursday morning, AIU officers intercepted a lady, Rayavarapu Sridevi, 54, of Malaysian nationality, who was about to board Batik Air flight which was bound for Kuala Lumpur, on suspicion of carrying foreign currency. She was carrying one piece of hand baggage which was taken up for examination.
On examination, $24,300 (243 of 100 denomination each) equivalent to Rs 16.7 lakh, were found concealed in her bag. Her checked-in luggage was also recalled from the aircraft and taken up for examination. On examination, $43,300 (433 in 100 denominations each) equivalent to Rs 29.75 lakh were found concealed. A total of US dollars equivalent to Rs 46.45 lakh were recovered and seized.
In a separate incident on Wednesday night, Syed Mohamed, 28, of Ramanathapuram, who arrived from Colombo by Indigo Airlines flight, was intercepted and during a personal search, two bundles of rubbery material concealed in his rectum were recovered. On extraction by heat treatment, 100 gram gold valued at Rs 3.27 lakh was recovered.
In another case, AIU officers based on specific intelligence, intercepted Syed Ibrahim, 39, of Chennai, who had arrived from Kuala Lumpur. During a personal search, two bundles of rubbery material concealed in his rectum were recovered. On extraction by heat treatment, 81 gram gold worth Rs 2.65 lakh was recovered.