CHENNAI: Air Intelligence Unit sleuths belonging to Customs department foiled bids to smuggle gold worth Rs 31.4 lakh at the Chennai Airport.
According to a release, the sleuths on Thursday night intercepted Yogaprashath (27), a Sri Lankan national, working on a tip off. During the search, 14 brownish or golden coloured coins suspected to be antique were found concealed in a small pouch among five rupee coins, in his checked-in luggage. The coins were tested by a gold assayer who certified them to be of gold and not antique.
The passenger had coated the coins with a special oil used in dyes to camouflage it to look like a five rupee coin. It came off on washing and turned golden in colour. The coins, weighing 422 grams and valued at Rs 16.8 lakh, were recovered and seized.
In a separate incident on Friday morning, Nilamudeen (36) of Ramanathapuram, arrived from Dubai and was intercepted at the exit gate. On questioning he confessed that he was carrying concealed bundles of gold paste in his rectum. On personal search, two bundles were recovered and on extraction 368 grams of gold valued at Rs 14.6 lakh was recovered and seized.
Gold coins found
During the search, 14 brownish or golden coloured coins suspected to be antique were found concealed in a small pouch among five rupee coins, in his checked-in luggage. The coins were tested by a gold assayer who certified them to be of gold and not antique