Yet another attempt to smuggle in gold, weighing 281.88 grams and valued at around ₹14 lakh, by an air passenger was foiled by the Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) on Thursday.
The passenger was identified as one Muhammed from Malappuram. He had come from Dubai.
The airport has been witnessing many out-of-the-box ploys by smugglers to evade detection of the metal and this was the latest in that series. This time, gold converted into compound form, a most-preferred method of late to evade metal detectors, and shaped like a long strip was found hidden inside a specially created cavity in the waistband of the carrier’s pants.
Pure gold is extracted from the compound once the smuggled metal reaches the destination.
Based on a profiling done by officers of Cochin Customs AIU, the passenger was intercepted at the green channel. In the ensuing examination, the white-coloured strip was found. Further probe is under way, said officials.
Published - January 12, 2023 08:12 pm IST
