Chennai:Â Officials of the Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) seized 635 grams of gold valued at Rs 33.3 lakh from two passengers, who arrived from Kuwait and Dubai at the Anna International airport in Chennai on Monday.
A release issued by the Commissioner of Customs said the gold were concealed in vaseline and hair gel.
Based on intelligence, a passenger Jinka Sudhakara (46) of Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, who arrived in a Kuwait airways flight, was intercepted on suspicion of carrying gold.
On examination of his checked in baggage, two small plastic containers of vaseline (Petroleum Jelly) were found among his
personal effects.
On opening these containers, 16 gold cut bits were recovered which were concealed in jelly. A total of 365 gms gold valued at Rs 19.14 lakh was recovered and seized.
In another case, one Thamimun Ansari (33) of Chennai who arrived from Dubai by an Air India Express Flight, was intercepted.
On examination of his checked in baggage, nine hair gel tubes with marking âWell New Waveâ were found among his other personal effects.
As the tubes were found to be unusually heavy, officials cut it and opened and found to contain a golden brown thick paste suspected to be gold paste. A total of 270 gms of gold valued at Rs.14.16 lakh was recovered after extraction.
In all, 635 gms of gold valued at R. 33.3 lakh was recovered and seized under the Customs Act. Further investigation is under progress.