The Chennai Customs seized 12.62 kg of gold and arrested an airline staff and a transit passenger at the airport on Saturday.
After a tip-off about possible gold smuggling, the officials intercepted an airline staff, Mohammed Barkathullah, an IndiGo customer service officer, near the departure gate. When they questioned and searched him, gold in the form of a rubbery paste was found in his shoes. Upon further investigation, they discovered that more rubbery gold paste was concealed in 36 pouches in his shoulder bag in the staff room. He had received the gold from a transit passenger who was to take the next flight to Colombo, a release said.
The paste that was recovered from him yielded 12.62 kg of gold, worth ₹8.04 crore. The officials seized it under The Customs Act, 1962. The Customs officials arrested the transit passenger Abdullah Komu Jaljahan, a Sri Lankan national, and Mohammed. Further investigation is on.
