Gold worth ₹26 lakh in semi-solid form seized at Amritsar airport

The customs officials on Saturday seized 664gm of gold mixed with melted synthetic rubber from two persons at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport here.

The customs officials on Saturday seized 664gm of gold mixed with melted synthetic rubber from two persons at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport here.

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A team of the customs department apprehended two passengers, a 66-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man, both belonging to Gujarat. They landed at the airport from a SpiceJet flight coming from Dubai, said Dipak Kumar Gupta, custom commissioner, Amritsar. The seized gold worth ₹26 lakh was mixed with chemicals to give it a semi-solid paste form.

“Hari Jethani was found hiding the gold in her innerwear which was wrapped in blue adhesive tape and Mayur Rohira hid it in his rectum,” said Gupta, adding that they adopted a new modus operandi to smuggle the yellow metal. “This is the first time when the gold has been detected in a rubber form,” he said.

A case under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, has been registered. Further investigation are on, said Gupta