3kg gold worth Rs 85 lakh in abandoned baggage seized

About three kg of gold bars worth Rs 85 lakh was seized today by customs officials from the abandoned baggage of a passenger who arrived here from Jeddah.
The gold was found concealed inside an Emergency lamp in the baggage, customs sources said.
They said the passenger had arrived here on December 11 with the baggage. While it was being scanned, he gave customs officials the slip and managed to escape.
Since it was noticed that the contents of the baggage was suspicious, it was marked for detailed examination, they said.
The passenger is yet to be traced.
The baggage was examined today and the six gold bars, weighing 500 grams each, were found inside the lamp.

The matter has been referred to Customs Preventive section, Kozhikode to trace the passenger.