19 kg saffron worth 47 lakh seized at airport

Chennai

Based on a tip-off, sleuths from the Customs Department intercepted Shahul Hamid Maraicar (25), who arrived from Dubai in an Emirates flight. As he gave contrary replies to their queries, the officers searched his checked-in baggage.

His stroller bag had eight green bundles with 40 packs of saffron while another carton box had twelve bundles, in which 470 small packs with 25 grams of saffron each were seized. Gold foils weighing over 100 grams worth Rs 3.4 were also seized from Shahul Hamid Maraicar. 

Following Shahul’s arrest, airport sources said that the seized saffron is of grade one quality and is smuggled into the country to mix with Kashmiri saffron which is very expensive. Further investigation is on.