Gold worth Rs 67 lakh seized at Mangaluru airport

Gold worth Rs 67 lakh was seized at Mangalore airport on Wednesday (January 6). The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officer informed that the gold was found on two passengers who had arrived from Dubai at the international airport.

The duo was stopped and checked based on a tip-off. One among the two passengers, from Bhatkal in Karnataka, had concealed five balls containing gold paste wrapped in adhesive tape in his rectum, the (DRI) press release said. The balls weighed 641.4 Gram said the press release.

The other passenger, belonging to Kasaragod in Kerela, was found concealing gold in paste form in his underwear with a special pouch, the release said. The gold yielded 646.67 gm, it said.

The total value of the gold was estimated be to be Rs 67 lakh. According to the officials, the duo caught are suspected to the part of a gang that has strong links in UAE.

With the easing of lockdown restrictions and the resuming of international flights, the number of cases of gold-smuggling is on the rise, the DRI press release said.

(With agency inputs)