Mangalore: Gold Smuggling goes Unabated; City Airport Customs Officers seize worth over Rs 2 Crore

Media Release

Mangalore, 14 Feb 2014: The customs officers at Mangalore International Airport (MIA) thwarted another attempt to smuggle gold and as a result seized 1 gold buckle set and 2 gold rods, totally weighing 1022.07 grams and valued at Rs 30,91,732, concealed as leather belt buckle and inside hair styling crimper set in a suitcase from a passenger, Sheminadh Puthen Purayil, who is a resident of Shamnad Manzil, Paral Post, Kuthuparamba, Kannur district, Kerala has arrived at MIA on Thursday February 13 at about 07.25 hours by Air India Express (AIE) flight IX 814 from Dubai.

 

 
The above operation was carried out under the supervision of Krishna Kumar Prasad, assistant commissioner of customs, MIA. The statement of the said passenger was also recorded and later he was arrested and produced before the judicial magistrate who remanded him for judicial custody.

 
Further investigation in the case is under progress under the guidance of D Purushotham, commissioner of customs, Mangalore.

 
It is further informed that the officers of customs at MIA have detected several cases of smuggling of gold through various modus-operandi such as concealment of gold, in the form of wire in the beading of the suitcase, in the food cans, LED lights, electric stoves, shaving equipment, rechargeable battery, etc and as a result have seized 7618.01 grams of gold valued at Rs.2,28,25,769- till date in this year 2014 (from January 2014 till February 13).