After the seizure of 1.4 kg of gold at Coimbatore Airport on Thursday, it was a haul of another 1.5 kg on Friday. The seizure on Thursday was by Customs officials and on Friday, it was by sleuths from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
Officials of the DRI said that a 28-year-old passenger from Sharjah came to Coimbatore on Air Arabia flight early on Friday. Based on intelligence inputs, the officials stopped the passenger and searched him. He was carrying the unassembled parts of a children’s bicycle. Nearly 1.5 kg of gold worth Rs. 46 lakh was found concealed in the front and rear wheel rims. The officials were interrogating the passenger.
The DRI officials had increased vigil in all coastal areas and ports following the change in duty structure for gold. During the last three to four months, nearly 70 kg of gold had been seized in the State, an official said. The accused intercepted with gold on Thursday was identified as Nishad (28) and the Customs officials arrested him on Friday. He was remanded to judicial custody till December 6. The man intercepted on Friday was identified as Zachariah of Kozhikode, Kerala and he was remanded in custody under the provisions of Customs Act.
