Eighteen gold biscuits and jewellery worth a total of Rs 80 lakh was seized from the passengers of the Thar Express train, which plies between Pakistan and India, last week at Barmer's Munabao station, a custom official said here today.
Twelve passengers were detained in connection with the seizure but released after interrogation, said the Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Basant Garhwal. Of the 12, seven were Indian and five Pakistani, he said.
The gold was brought in concealed in their innerwear, Garhwal said, adding that the smuggling was detected during checking at Munabao railway station after the train had arrived there from Pakistan.
It was the fourth incident of gold smuggling by passengers of the Thar Express in the last one month, said Garhwal.
