A special team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials detained at least 50 passengers at the Tirchy International Airport. The passengers were coming from Singapore by an Air India express flight, they were detained on suspicion that some of them were smuggling goods.
The CBI team from Madurai wing arrived at the airport with three inspectors, nine constables and launched the operation after arrival of the Air India flight.
The officials were acting on a tip off that many passengers boarded the flight to smuggle goods by evading customs duty. The passengers were made to wait at security area for enquiry.
Preliminary investigations revealed that at least 40 passengers were suspected to be ‘carriers’ who were in possession of valuables that they failed to disclose.
On August 1, three contract employees of a ground handling agency functioning at the Trichy International Airport were arrested by DRI officials for allegedly helping smugglers bring 6.15 kg of gold out of the terminal building.
