Gold weighing 2.33 kg and 10,000 US dollars were seized at the Chennai airport on Friday.
Mohammed Ali and Abdul Hakkim, who came from Malaysia in Air Asia Flight, Syed Mohamed, and Seyed Farook who reached Chennai airport from Dubai via Colombo by Sri Lankan Airlines, Syed Abthageer and Ansari who also came from Dubai by Emirates and Air India respectively were detained on suspicion. When they were questioned and subsequently checked, officials found they had concealed 10 gold cut bits weighing 298 grams worth ₹12 lakh in their pant pocket. This apart, some of them had 16 bundles of rubbery paste of gold inside their rectum. This paste was extracted and 1.57 kg of gold was recovered. These were seized under the Customs Act, 1962, the release said.
On Thursday, Thameem Ansari who was to depart to Singapore was held at security hold area on suspicion and questioned. Officials checked his hand baggage and seized 10,000 US dollars. In a different case, Mohammed Ashik Ali who arrived in the city had hidden three bundles of rubbery paste of gold, weighing about 468 grams and worth ₹18.55 lakh.
