Over 1.5 kg gold smuggled in hammer, mirror frame seized at Chennai airport

Customs officers in Chennai seized over 1.5 kg gold from two people who flew in from Dubai. The gold was concealed in a hammer and a frame of a mirror

Chennai:Gold concealed in a mirror frame brought from Kuwait, besides in an iron hammer from Dubai, totally weighing about 1,588 grams and worth about 66.34 lakh, was seized by Customs officers at the airport here on Monday.

Two people were arrested in this connection, they said.

In the first instance, a passenger who arrived here from Dubai was intercepted by the Customs officers at the exit gate, based on intelligence inputs. Upon scanning and examination, an iron hammer with gold concealed in it was found in his baggage.

The hammer was broken and gold moulded inside it was recovered, a release from the Principal Commissioner of Customs, Chennai, Air Intelligence Unit, here. About 341 grams of 24 k gold valued at Rs 14.25 lakh was seized, it said.

In the second seizure, 1,247 grams of gold concealed in a mirror frame was recovered from a passenger who arrived from Kuwait, after cutting open the frame.

The gold was valued at Rs 52.09 lakh, the release said.

PTI