AIU officials seize over 900 grams of gold from a passenger at Trichy airport.
In a major haul, officials of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) in Tamil Nadu‘s Tiruchirappalli apprehended a passenger arriving from Dubai and recovered 977 grams of gold worth Rs. 70.58 lakh.
According to sources, the yellow metal was stored within the individual’s rectal cavity in three packets, each containing paste-like material weighing approximately 1081 grams.
The recovery was made after the accused landed at Trichy airport on a flight belonging to Air India Express. Following standard procedure, he was immediately arrested and handed to authorities for further investigation.
In a similar incident in March, AIU personnel at the same facility had intercepted another passenger incoming from Singapore. A thorough check led to the discovery of 410 grams of gold valued at Rs. 26.62 lakh.
Of this, 330 grams extracted from the paste and 80 grams concealed inside clothing turned out to be 24-carat and 22-carat gold, respectively.
Such regular interceptions have helped unearth a new modus operandi of smuggling even as the department continues due diligence and monitoring to strengthen surveillance against the transport of undeclared valuables.
