TIRUCHY:The customs officials recovered 1.70 kg of gold bars, worth Rs 45 lakh, that was abandoned inside a toilet at the Tiruchy International Airport late on saturday night. The officials from the airport have intensified their effort to locate the air traveller who left the yellow metal with the help of CCTV footages.
According to sources, a total of 1 kilogram and 700 grams of gold was found by the Airport authorities abandoned in the toilet on Saturday. The parcel which was found in the toilet contained 13 gold bars, each weighing 100 grams and some cut pieces weiging 400 grams.
The total worth of the gold haul is estimated to be around Rs 45 lakh. The maintenance staff at the airport spotted the packet while cleaning the premises late on Saturday night after the arrival of a Singapore-bound Air India Express. They informed their higher authorities, who, in turn, informed the air intelligence unit.
The officials from air intelligence unit said that they are examining the CCTV footages and would arrive at a conclusion only after they are through with the investigation.
The number of domestic passengers travelling to Tiruchy from Chennai by the Air India Express flights has been rising, airport authorities said. They said that over the last eight months Customs officials have detained 40 domestic passengers at Tiruchy airport and seized smuggled gold weighing 8.4 kg, estimated at around Rs 2.3 crore.
