Chennai: Iranian saffron weighing around 20 kg and valued at Rs 47.4 lakh was seized at the international airport here and one person arrested in this connection, customs department said Sunday.
Acting on a tip off, customs sleuths intercepted a passenger who arrived from Dubai Sunday and recovered 19.75 kgs of Grade I Iranian Saffron worth Rs 47.4 lakh from him under provisions of Customs Act, 1962.
The press release issued by the department said, smuggling of saffron has been on the rise due to high price of the Indian variety and high import duty.
The passenger was arrested and investigation was on, the release added.