Date:09/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/09/stories/2008080953240300.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Gold coins, ornaments seized at airport

Staff Reporter

Passenger from Sharjah was exiting the terminal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Gold coins and bangles worth Rs.14.5 lakh were seized by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Air Customs from a passenger who arrived from Sharjah at the international airport here in the wee hours of Friday.

The passenger, Sudheesh, hailing from the capital, was nabbed by sleuths of the AIU while he was trying to exit the international terminal building evading Customs personnel.

Sudheesh had come from Sharjah on the Air Arabia flight that arrived in the airport here at 2.30 a.m. The AIU sleuths recovered 88 gold coins and 34 gold bangles from the baggage of the passenger.

The seized gold coins and bangles, with a total weight of 1,247.3 gms, are worth Rs.14.5 lakh in the market, according to the Customs officials.

The seizure was effected by a team led by Commissioner of Customs J.P. Gregory, Assistant Commissioners G.A. Das and A. Gopakumar; and Superintendent, Intelligence, U. Mahesh Kumar.