Over the last five days, Customs officials arrested four passengers — all hailing from Kozhikode in Kerala — who were trying to smuggle gold concealed in their belts into the country. In total, gold worth ₹92.41 lakh has been seized.
One of the people arrested was Nalakam Paramba Mohammed Rafeeque, 27, who had landed at Kempegowda International Airport from Dubai on Wednesday. On frisking him, officials recovered 728 gms of gold worth ₹22.8 lakh. It was in the form of powder mixed with soil and chemicals, concealed in his waist belt.
On Tuesday, they arrested Mustsfa Pallipurayl, 38, who landed at KIA from Sharjah. In his case too, they found gold in the form of a powder mixed with soil and chemical, concealed in his waist belt. They seized a little over a kg of gold worth ₹31.46 lakh.
That same day, they arrested Jamaludeen, 40, and recovered 1 kg of gold valued at ₹31.35.
The fourth person arrested, Shamsudheen, 34, was attempting to smuggle 217 gms of gold valued at ₹6.80 lakh in the form of a bracelet and buckle affixed to his belt.