Mangaluru: The officers of Customs at Mangaluru International Airport at Kenjar here have seized 2kg of gold valued at Rs 52.90 lakh in the form of two gold bars, each weighing 1kg on Saturday November 29.

The passenger who tried to smuggle the gold bars has been identified as Abdul Manaf Akkoth, 26, resident of Akkoth House, Madavoor post office in Narikuni of Kozhikode district in Kerala. 

The gold was concealed separately in two mobile phone pouches and kept together in a polythene Dubai Duty Free carry bag, on the floor beneath row of chairs placed adjacent to M/s Flemingo Duty Free Shop in the arrival hall of MIA.

Udayashankaran N, assistant commissioner of customs (airport) in a release informed that Abdul had arrived at MIA at 8.40am on Saturday by Jet Airways flight 9W531 from Dubai. Two persons who work at MIA – Ratheesh of M/s Flemingo Duty Free Shop and B S Nijeesh Raj, a salesman helped Abdul, added the release.

Udayashankaran said Ratheesh, and Nijeesh, are both from South Kerala. All the three accused were arrested and produced before the jurisdictional court judge on Sunday, who remanded them in to judicial custody. Further investigation is under progress.