Huge haul of gold at Chennai airport in two days

On Friday morning, officers from the AIU officers intercepted Zia-ul-Huq (25) and Syed Malungu (29) from Ramanathapuram, and Mohammed Khalifathullah (41) of Chennai, who had reached here from Colombo by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight. They were stopped at the exit of the Customs arrival hall, as the officers suspected them of ferrying gold illegally. When they were checked thoroughly, the Customs sleuths found gold in rubbery spread concealed in their rectum.

Within hours, two more passengers – Shiva (31) of Villupuram and Farzana Begum Tajuddin (46) of Mumbai – who arrived from Dubai by Indigo Airlines flight too were caught carrying gold in a similar fashion.

There were the latest in a series of such cases that the Customs officers found at the Chennai airport since Thursday. On that day, the agency caught 20 passengers, including 13 hailing from Ramanathapuram, 3 from Chennai, 1 each from Pudukkottai and Virudhunagar, and 2 from Colombo. All of them reached Chennai airport from Colombo carrying gold in their rectum.

The gold, totally weighing 6 kg, was extracted heat treatment, said a statement from the Customs department, adding that the gold was of 24 k purity and valued at Rs 2 crore. It was seized under Customs Act, 1962, and further investigation is on, said the Customs Commissioner in the statement issued on Friday.