Gold worth Rs 1.4 crore seized at airport; two including AI cabin crew arrested

CHENNAI: Customs officials seized gold worth Rs 1.4 crore in the Chennai airport, and arrested a passenger and a cabin crew of Air India on Sunday. Based on a tip-off that gold was being smuggled into Chennai from Dubai, officers were monitoring passengers arriving from Dubai at 4.40 am in the AI flight.

Suspecting the cabin crew, they intercepted a 26-year-old male member of the crew, who was found to be nervous. While searching him, they found four gold bars hidden under the belt of his pants. They seized the gold weighing about 1.7 kg worth Rs 1.4 crore, and arrested the man.

During inquiry, he told officers that a male passenger handed the gold to him on the flight. Based on this, officers arrested a passenger when he was waiting at the immigration counter.

The officers are investigating if the duo had been involved in more such incidents, and also nab the gang behind the gold smuggling.