Kerala: Customs seizes gold worth Rs 54 lakh at Kochi Airport

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) customs department seized 1,062 grams of gold worth Rs 54 lakh from two female passengers at the Kochi Airport on Thursday.

On the basis of profiling done by AIU officials, one female passenger travelling from Italy via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight was intercepted.

During the examination of the said passenger, three crude gold bangles totally weighing 480.25 grams worth Rs. 24 lakhs concealed inside her hand baggage were recovered and seized.

Meanwhile, in the second instance, a female passenger was intercepted at green Chanel by AIU officers who arrived from Riyadh to Kochi on an Air India flight.

During the personal search of the said passenger, five gold bar total weighing 582.64 grams worth Rs 29,89,235, ingeniously concealed inside artificially red-coloured sanitary napkins which were worn by the passenger was recovered.

However, under relevant provisions of the Customs Act 1962, the said gold was seized.

Further investigations into the matter are underway.

( With inputs from ANI )