Mangaluru: During the month of December of 2017, the Customs officers at Mangaluru International Airport have detected 14 cases and intercepted 18 passengers who had adopted diverse modus operandi to smuggle contraband. The officers seized 3.87 kgs of smuggled gold, valued at over Rs 1.1 crores and foreign currencies equivalent to Rs 56.11 lakhs, which was attempted to be smuggled out of the country.

The contraband gold was smuggled in various forms viz., gold foils to wrap chocolate bars and chewing gums; stitching copper coated gold wires inside embroidered flowers of burkas; concealing cubical pieces and circular plates of gold inside lids of face creams and make up kits; concealing gold pieces inside electronic devices like hair trimmer etc. Further, 3 passengers had smuggled gold by way of concealment in their rectum.

The officers have also seized assorted foreign currencies equivalent to Rs 56.1 lakhs in three separate incidents which was procured illicitly and attempted to be smuggled out of the country.

The passengers intercepted hailed from Kasargod, Bhatkal, Ullasnagar and one from Mumbai arriving from/departing to the Middle East. In the cases registered, six passengers had been arrested and remanded to judicial custody by Hon’ble Pr. Civil Judge (Sr. Division) and Chief Judicial Magistrate.

The attempts to smuggle contraband are being thwarted by the vigilant officers by way of gathering actionable clues from various sources, profiling the passengers, monitoring the movement of the passengers, and effective constant co-ordination with other stakeholders.

Further investigations in these cases are in progress.