The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) late on Tuesday seized 3.2 kg worth of gold from 14 passengers who disembarked at the international airport here.
Officials said the they had concealed the contraband in plastic sheaths inserted into their rectum.
The suspects had arrived in the country from Singapore.
Investigators said they were mere carriers for a gold smuggling network centred in Chennai.
The smugglers had hoped to make a minimum profit of Rs 2 lakh for every kg of gold smuggled into the country.
The accused were all natives of Tamil Nadu and hailed from lower income families.
