Sixteen gold bars weighing 1.856 kgs and valued at Rs.50 lakh which were concealed by two passengers of Air Arabia flight in their rectum, were today seized by the Air Customs Intelligence Unit, a senior official said.
On specific information that some passengers are smuggling gold through the international airport here, the unit intercepted two passengers, coming from Sharjah, who were not carrying any thing in their baggage, Deputy Commissioner, Customs and Central Excise and Service Tax Ranjith Kumar, told reporters here.
However, on detailed examination, it was found that both had concealed eight gold bars each totally weighing 1.856 kgs in their rectum, he said.
The value of the 16 gold bars was about Rs 50 lakh, N J Kumaresh, Additional Commissioner, said adding that the duty sought to be evaded was Rs 18 lakh at the rate of 36 per cent.
Passengers, identified at Elayitodiyil Abdunnasar and Puthupurakkal Shahjahan from Malappuram in Kerala, were taken into custody, he said.
The Coimbatore customs has seized about 12.5 KGs of gold in 2014, they said.
