Mangalore : Customs officials at the Mangalore airport, on June 12, Wednesday trapped a man from Kasargod who was found smuggling as many as nine gold chains in a thermos flask. The value of gold chains weighing 157 grams is estimated at Rs 3.37 lakhs.
The accused has been identified as Shabab Mattummal (24) hailing from Kolavayal in Kasargod. He had landed at the airport by an Air India Express flight from Dubai at 6.30 pm.
During the routine examination, the customs officials found that the man was hiding nine gold chains including a stone studded chain, wrapped in a white sheet and covered with a brown gum tape inside the flask.
With investigations revealing that he had made several trips between Mangalore and Dubai, it is suspected that he might have smuggled gold in this way on earlier occasions too.