Daijiworld Media Network - Kannur (SHP)
With Inputs from Media Release
Kannur, Jun 21: On the basis of an intelligence report received on June 20, Customs officials at Kannur International Airport, intercepted a passenger and seized gold worth over Rs 60 lac.
The officers of Customs were alerted about Sainudheen Ramees, resident of Kozhikode, who landed in flight IX 746 from Sharjah, as he was proceeding to exit under the green channel facility. The officials stopped him and searched him thoroughly, which led them to finding a lot of gold being concealed in compound form. It was found that Sainudheen had gold in the form of paste, and in the form of crude chain in his underwear. Detailed search also revealed that the gold was concealed under his foot and his rectum in the form of paste.
The officials are touting it to be a 'Hat trick', where they managed to find three concealments from a single passenger.
The final estimated quantity of the smuggled gold is still underway. An approximate amount has been released where gold in paste form is said to be over two kilograms, in the crude chain form is around 583 grams and the total amount is said to be approximately over Rs 60 lac.
On June 15, 2019, the Customs had managed to nab a group of three suspects who all had gold in the compound form concealed in their rectum. The confiscated gold was around 1.84 kilograms valued at Rs 62 lac. On June 14, 2019, Customs with the help of DRI, detected two passengers with gold in their rectum. In this case the quantity seized was 906 grams valued at Rs 31 lac.
The previous month on May 14, three passengers were prevented from smuggling contraband foreign made cigarettes in trade quantity. Over 679 cartons were seized and were valued at Rs 11 lac, a penalty of Rs 1.35 lac was also imposed and recovered.
Ever since, Kannur International Airport began operations, Customs have detected 19 cases of gold smuggling and seized nearly 17 kilograms valued at Rs 5.5 crore. These estimates have been for the year 2019 alone. The feats were being achieved in spite of acute shortage of staff and infrastructural deficiencies.