Chennai Air Customs officials busted a new modus operandi of gold smuggling where domestic passengers (to avoid suspicion) are collecting the gold that is ingeniously hidden in International flights.
According to officials, they rummaged flight 6E-66, which had arrived from Dubai on suspicion of gold smuggling. Five rectangular pieces wrapped in black adhesive tape and tied with a thread along with a metal piece were found concealed in the hollow pipe portion of one of the seats.
On being cut open, 10 gold bars of 10 tolas with foreign markings, totally weighing 1.16 kg and valued at Rs. 57.1 lakhs were recovered.
As is common with domestic airlines, within a short span, the same International flight (6E-66), later operated on the domestic Chennai-Guwahati route as 6E627. During the return flight, this aircraft had flown back to Chennai as flight 6E623.
Mohabath Khan, 56, of Kancheepuram who traveled from Guwahati to Chennai on the same seat from which the gold was recovered earlier, was intercepted. On personal search, five rectangular heavy pieces wrapped with black adhesive tape and tied with a thread along with a metal piece were found concealed in a cloth pouch under his shirt.
On cutting, 10 gold bars of 10 tolas each with foreign markings totally weighing 1.16 kg and valued at Rs. 57.1 lakhs were recovered.
On questioning, he informed that he had travelled from Chennai to Guwahati by a SpiceJet flight on the same day and he returned to Chennai by the Indigo flight. He further informed that he was supposed to retrieve gold from two seats from this aircraft, however, he found gold from one seat only. He admitted his involvement in both cases and was arrested.
A total of 2.32kg gold worth 1.14 crore was seized.
