MANGALURU: Customs officers at Mangalore International Airport busted another modus operandi of gold smuggling and seized gold weighing 1816.550 grams totally, in two separate cases valued at Rs.48.32 lakh.
In the first case, the officers seized seven gold bars, totally weighing 816.550 grams and valued at Rs.21.72 lakh concealed in inner wear from the possession of a lady passenger, named Khairun Gulam Mahamad Shekh, 48, resident of Masjid Chowk Main Road, AT Sutrapada, Junagadh. She arrived at Mangalore International Airport at 7.45am by Air India Express flight No.IX814 from Dubai.
In a similar modus operandi on the same day, the officers seized gold in the form of one kg gold Bar, weighing 1000 grams and valued at Rs.26.60 lakh concealed in inner wear from the possession of another lady passenger. She was identified as Mariyomma Ottapokkil, 48, from Kozhikode, Kerala. She arrived at Mangalore International Airport by 8.45am Jet Airways flight No.9W531 from Dubai. Both the lady passengers were later arrested and produced before the Judicial Magistrate. Further investigation in both the cases is under progress, said Krishna Kumar Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Customs.
