Gold smuggling attempts foiled in Chennai airport, two held
Darpan News Desk IANS, 12 Apr, 2022 04:04 PM
Chennai, April 12 (IANS) The Air Intelligence officers of Chennai Customs have foiled attempts to smuggle in 4.171 kg of gold valued at Rs 2.01 crore in the last two days, it was announced on Tuesday.
According to Customs, based on intelligence, five male Apassengers who arrived from Dubai by Emirates flight on Monday and two male passengers who arrived from Dubai by Indigo flight on Monday were intercepted at exit gate by Air Intelligence officers.
On examination of their check-in-baggage, 43 gold cut-bits of 24k purity, weighing 2.493 kg and valued at Rs 1.20 crore, were found wrapped around laptop chargers with adhesive tapes.
The gold was seized and one passenger was arrested.
In another case, 992 grams of gold valued at Rs 48 lakh was seized from 12 passengers who arrived from Colombo flight on Monday.
On Tuesday, a male passenger, who arrived from Dubai by Indigo flight was intercepted. On examination of his person, three bundles wrapped with adhesive tapes were found concealed in the rectum, which resulted in recovery one gold ingot of 24K purity weighing 686 grams and valued at Rs 33.05 lakh.
The gold was seized and the passenger was arrested.
The Indian government, before taking any final decision on the resumption of international flight operations, is "closely monitoring" the situation emerging out of the detection and spread of coronavirus' Omicron variant.
On Sunday, Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to stop international flights from regions witnessing a rise in Covid-19 cases. Meanwhile, Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital has been designated to treat patients testing positive for the new Covid-19 variant Omicron.
Customs officials at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here seized 472.8 grams gold in paste form from seat pockets of a flight that arrived from Guwahati. Acting on specific intelligence, Customs sleuths recovered in gold paste form worth Rs. 23.33 lakh.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday exhorted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept his proposal for complete waiver of farmers and farm labourers' debt, adding the state is ready to take over its share of debt burden along with the government of India.
Among other questions, the MPs had sought to know the number of cases registered against farmers in connection with the agitation; the data on the number of farmers who died during the agitation held in and around the National Capital; and whether the government proposes to provide financial assistance to the kin of farmers who died during the said agitation.
A day after the three contentious farm laws were repealed by the Parliament, the government on Tuesday reached out to the agitating farmers, asking them to suggest five names to be included in a committee to be formed to discuss farm related issues, including MSP.
