Customs seize over one crore worth of gold from passenger at Tiruchirapalli Airport

NEW DELHI: A male passenger arriving from Singapore was apprehended at Tiruchirapalli Airport, carrying gold worth over one crore rupees, the Customs Department reported on Friday.
The gold, weighing 1.605 kg, was found concealed under knee caps worn on his thighs.
"Officers of the Air Intelligence Unit at Tiruchirapalli International Airport intercepted a male passenger who attempted to cross the green channel and recovered gold in paste form concealed under knee caps worn by him in his thighs," an official press release stated.
The passenger had arrived on Scoot Airlines TR562 from Singapore. The market value of the seized gold is estimated at Rs 1.16 crore.
Further investigation into the incident is ongoing, officials indicated.
Earlier this year, in May, three passengers were arrested at Tiruchirappalli Airport with 96 gold rods worth Rs 16.17 lakh. Customs officials disclosed that the 235 grams of gold rods were hidden in the bottom wheels screws of three trolley bags. The accused had traveled from Kuala Lumpur on an Air Asia flight.
On April 27, officers from the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Tiruchirappalli airport seized gold weighing 977 grams, valued at Rs 70.58 lakh, from a passenger arriving from Dubai.
Regarding this incident, officials reported that the gold was hidden in three packets containing 1081 grams of paste-like material found in the rectum of the passenger. The individual was traveling from Dubai to Trichy on the Air India Express and subsequently arrested.
Authorities are continuing to monitor smuggling activities rigorously. Further updates are anticipated as investigations progress.