Sanitary workers find 40 kg gold at airport loo

Customs officials suspect that the two, who were caught later in the evening from a hotel in the city, could have smuggled the gold on a Hong Kong – Chennai flight that landed here at 2.30 am. 

The gold biscuits were found in a blue colour strolley bag kept inside a locked male restroom near the Customs hall on the ground floor, sources said. The gold bars had Chinese inscriptions on them. 

“CCTV footage showed two passengers, the Chinese nationals, walking into the restroom around 5.50 am with the stroller bag but coming out empty-handed,” sources said. Airport sources said that the gold haul had initially triggered panic in the airport after the sanitary workers raised alarm over a locked cabin in the restroom when they went to clean the area at around 6.30 am. 

The workers immediately alerted their supervisor, who in turn informed the airport manager. Immediately, a CISF team was informed and they broke open the door and cleared the bag for inspection after confirming that it contained no explosives as initially feared. 

When opened, they found it filled with gold biscuits, totally weighing 40 kg. The contents were handed over to the Customs officials for further action, sources said. Following this, the officials went through the CCTV footage, which showed two men walking in with the bags. 

Sources noted that the carriers could have been told by the smugglers to leave the bag in the restroom. 

“It is possible that the sanitary workers found the bag much before the designated person reached there to pick it up. There is also a possibility of someone, who is working in the airport and has access to Customs hall, could be hand in glove with the smugglers. That person could have agreed to take the bag with gold out of the airport,” sources added.