Foreign currency, gold worth Rs 1.9 cr seized; 4 arrested

CHENNAI: Customs officials seized foreign currency worth Rs 34.23 lakh and gold ingots valued at Rs 1.55 crore and arrested four air passengers.

Based on information, Mageshwaran Venkatesan of Cuddalore, who was bound for Sharjah by Air Arabia flight, was intercepted by Customs officers and his baggage was examined. During the examination, 339 foreign currency notes of Saudi Riyal 500 denomination, equivalent to Rs 34.23 lakh, were found ingeniously concealed in envelopes kept in new shirt covers. The foreign currency was seized under the Customs Act, 1962.

In another incident, Abdul Aziz Abdul Majeed of Thanjavur, who came from Mumbai, was intercepted by Customs officers and his baggage was examined. During the examination of his hand baggage, three bundles containing foreign-origin gold in compound form were found ingeniously concealed inside the inner pocket of the handbag, which yielded a gold ingot of 24K purity weighing 855 grams valued at Rs 39 lakh.

On Tuesday, based on specific information, two passengers — Mohammed Safik of Tondiarpet and Shri Mirsath Ali Sikkandar of Ramanathapuram — who arrived here from Bangkok were intercepted and during personal search, bundles containing gold in paste form was found to be concealed in their rectum which yielded two gold ingots weighing 2.5 kg of 24K purity valued Rs 1.16 crore. The same was recovered and seized under the Customs Act, 1962. All four passengers were arrested.