Customs seize wildlife species, gold worth ₹1.89 cr in Chennai

CHENNAI: Customs officials seized wildlife species and gold worth Rs 1.89 crore at the Chennai airport on Monday.

An AAI staff and a Spicejet security officer were arrested for helping the smugglers take the gold outside the airport.

Based on Intelligence, Chennai Air Customs officers intercepted one male passenger, who arrived from Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. On examination of his checked-in baggage, wildlife species, one Raccoon (Procyon lotor) and four Tegu Lizards (Salvator) were found in live condition and seized under the Customs Act, 1962 read with Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The wildlife species were deported back to Kuala Lumpur.

In another incident, Chennai Air Customs officers intercepted one male passenger who arrived from Dubai on Sunday. On examination of his checked-in baggage, two gold wires deeply concealed in his trolley bag were found, resulting in the recovery of 495 grams of gold of 24K purity valued at Rs 24.84 lakh, the same was seized under the Customs Act. In another incident on Sunday, Chennai Air Customs officers intercepted one male Srilankan passenger who arrived from Colombo On search of his person, two bundles containing gold in paste form wrapped with adhesive tapes concealed in his body were recovered, resulting in the recovery of 363 grams of a gold ingot of 24K purity valued at Rs 18.21 lakh, which was recovered and seized.

In another instance, eight bundles containing gold in paste form wrapped with adhesive tapes were recovered from an AAl staff, which were handed over to him by Dubai bound Transit Srilankan passenger in the transit area toilet, who arrived from Colombo, resulting in the recovery of 2,300 grams gold ingot of 24K purity valued at ₹ 1.15 crore, which was seized under the Customs Act, 1962. The AAl staff was arrested. In total, Gold weighing 3158 grams valued at Rs 1.58 crore was recovered. The search is on to nab the passenger.

On Monday morning the CISF officer deployed in the Chennai International terminal found something suspicious at the rear side pant pocket of Spicejet Security staff and on a thorough examination, the officer recovered five gold chains and one Ginni (small locket) weighing 624 grams concealed inside a small pouch. On enquiry, the security staff said that he allegedly picked up the gold from the seat pocket flight that arrived from Kuwait in the morning.

Spicejet security staff confessed that he was about to hand over the gold to a passenger from Andhra Pradesh outside the airport who travelled on the same flight from Kuwait. After completion of all the legal formalities, the said Spicejet Security Staff along with the recovered gold was handed over to the customs officials for further action.

Earlier on Saturday an Air India staff was arrested by customs and a gold ingot valued at Rs 1.28 crore was recovered and seized from him.