Customs sleuths at the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) on Saturday seized 640 grams of gold worth Rs.17 lakh from Muhammed Jeffry, 37, a Sri Lankan national. The gold, in the form of six biscuits weighing 100 grams each and a small piece of 42 grams, was concealed inside the socks worn by the passenger.
The passenger landed here by an Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur in the morning. Officials intercepted Jeffry at the exit of the arrival hall while he was attempting to go through the green channel. He did not make any declarations about the gold and also replied in the negative when asked whether he had any gold in his possession. During a detailed interrogation, the accused, however, revealed he had hidden the gold inside the socks.