Chennai: Air Customs Officers in Chennai broke a new modus operandi, seizing Rs 1.57 cr worth of gold that was hidden in LCD monitors and hidden in laptop computer screens and in suitcases. The eight passengers who had tried to smuggle the precious yellow metal had flown in from Dubai.
According to officials, during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, they intercepted three passengers from flight FZ 851, based on intelligence on gold smuggling. Upon examining his checked luggage, 36 mini LCD monitors were found, in which gold foil was hidden.
1.36 kg gold foil valued at Rs 68.08 lakh was recovered and seized.
The passengers were identified as Mohamed Issak, 26, of Trichy, Sadiq Ali, 53, and Mohamed Nagoor Hanifa, 36, of Chennai. Hanifa was arrested.
Similarly, four passengers who had arrived via Air India flight IX 1644 were intercepted. Examination of his check-in bags revealed that 28 gold foils hidden inside mini LCD monitors, 10 gold foils hidden in five laptops, and two gold foils hidden in two of his suitcases were recovered. 28 gold foils and 12 gold foils weighing 1.62 kg valued at Rs 81.25 lakh were recovered and seized.
The passengers were identified as Hoosainur Rahman, 22, from Ilayangudi, Mohamed Gani, 45, from Sivaganga, Abdul Karim, 52, and Khader Humayun, 25, from Chennai. Gani and Rahman were arrested.
In another case, a search of Sahubar Aasik, 24, from Ramanathapuram, who had arrived on Indigo Flight 6E-66, revealed three gold paste plastic bags weighing 190 grams in his pants. After mining, 165 grams of gold valued at Rs 8.26 lakh were recovered and seized.
A total of 3.15 kg valued at Rs 1.57 crore was recovered and seized under the Customs Act of 1962 from eight passengers, of whom, three were arrested.
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