Chennai, October 5: Customs officials at Chennai International Airport seized 4 kg of gold valued at Rs 4.2 crore in two separate incidents and arrested four passengers. The operations were initiated following a tip-off from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) about a large quantity of gold being smuggled into Chennai from Dubai and Malaysia.
On Sunday night, customs officers intercepted two passengers arriving from Kuala Lumpur. Upon inspection of their check-in luggage, 3 kg of gold worth Rs 2.1 crore was discovered concealed inside. The passengers were immediately arrested, and the gold was seized for further investigation.
In a similar incident the same day, customs officials stopped two more passengers arriving from Dubai. The individuals’ evasive responses during questioning led officers to search their checked-in baggage, where 2 kg of gold valued at Rs 2.1 crore was found. The gold was confiscated, and both passengers were taken into custody.
Authorities suspect that both cases may be linked to the same smuggling syndicate, and investigations are ongoing to uncover further details.