Gold worth Rs 3 crore found from passengers’ bodies and bags in Kerala’s Calicut
Calicut: Customs officials at Calicut International Airport successfully intercepted and seized a significant amount of gold paste estimated to weigh approximately 5.4 kg, with an estimated value of ₹3 crore. The gold was concealed through various covert methods in six distinct cases over the weekend.
On both Saturday and Sunday nights, vigilant customs officials apprehended six individuals attempting to smuggle gold paste, either hidden within their bodies or concealed in their check-in baggage.
Muhammad Basheer Parayarukandiyil, a 40-year-old passenger hailing from Koduvally in Kozhikode, arriving from Riyadh, was found to have concealed two capsules of gold compound, weighing 619 grams, inside his body.
In a separate incident, passenger Karumbarukuzhiyil Muhammad Midlaj, arriving from Dubai, was intercepted. An interrogation led to the discovery of 985 grams of paper sheets coated with gold compound, ingeniously concealed within bedsheets in his check-in baggage.
Another passenger, Azeez Kollantavita, aged 25 and a native of Chelarkkad, Kozhikode, arriving from Doha, was also intercepted. Subsequent interrogation revealed four capsules of gold compound, totaling 970 grams, concealed within his body.
Customs further seized quantities of gold from passengers Sameer of Malapuram and Abdul Sakkeer, both hailing from Malapuram, amounting to 1,277 grams and 1,066 grams, respectively.
Additionally, an attempt to kidnap a passenger named Shri Ligesh was foiled outside the airport. A joint effort involving CISF, Kerala Police, Customs officials, and Intelligence Officer, IB, led to the passenger’s arrest, uncovering two capsules of gold compound weighing 543 grams concealed within his body.
