Mangalore, Feb 14: The officers of customs at Mangalore international Airport have thwarted another attempt to smuggle gold on Friday from a Dubai passenger.
The gold totally weighing 1022.07gm and valued at Rs 30, 91,723 was concealed in leather belt buckle and hair styling crimper set in a suitcase by Sheminadh Puthen Purayil, a resident of Shamnad Manzil, Paral Kuthuparamba in Kannur district.
According to a press release by the Custom officer, he was caught while frisking by hand held metal detector.
The custom officer grew suspicion about the buckle set of the leather belt worn by him whose X-Ray image shown the presence of high density metal.
When asked from him regarding this weather made of gold or any other goods being carried by him worth declaring to the customs, he replied as the same as negative as evident from his baggage disembarkation slip also.
But on rubbing the same buckle set, its coating got removed and indicated the presence of yellow metal.
Apart from this, the said passenger also found carrying the hair styling crimper sets wherein two yellow coloured metal rods wrapped in black plastic covers were found concealed in two cylindrical tubes like part of the said hair styling crimper set. Later it was confirmed and certified the buckle set and the yellow coloured metal rods as being made of gold.
The operation conducted under the supervision of Krishna Kumar Prasad, assistant commissioner of customs, Mangalore international airport.
The statement of the passenger was also recorded and later he was arrested and produced before the judicial magistrate who remanded him for judicial custody.
Further investigation in the case is under progress under the guidance of D Purushotham, Commissioner of customs, Mangalore.
It is to be noted that the officers of customs at Mangalore International Airport have detected several cases of smuggling of gold through various modus-operandi such as concealment of gold, in the form of wire, in the beading of the suitcase, in the food cans, LED lights, electric stoves, shaving equipment, rechargeable battery etc.
They have seized 7618.01gm of gold valued Rs 2,28,25,769 from January 2014 to February 14, 2014.
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