Gold bars, foreign cigarettes worth over Rs 27 lakh seized in Coimbatore

Gold bars and foreign brand cigarettes valued at over Rs.27 lakh were today seized from two persons at the city airport, officials said.

Based on specific information, Customs officials kept vigil and detained Shihab of Malappuram and Abdul Shareef of Kasargod in Kerala, who alighted from an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah around 4.30 AM, for questioning.

On search, the officials found Shihab hiding eight gold bars weighing 932 grams in his rectum, while cigarettes were recovered from the luggage of Shareef, police said.

The value of gold is estimated at Rs.26.43 lakh and cigarettes at Rs.70,000.

Shihab, who had been earlier arrested in a case and released on bail, is said to be involved in gold smuggling racket, they said. The confiscated cigarettes can be released after paying a fine of Rs.90,000, police added.