Mangalore, May 27: The sleuths of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Mangalore have seized 498 packets (each weighing 25 gms) of saffron from Dubai-Mangalore Air India Express passenger when he arrived at Mangalore airport on Friday and arrested him.

The Iranian saffron of brand “Behrang Saffron,’ weighing 12.5 kgs is said to be valued at Rs 12.45 lac in the international market.

According to DRI officials, the arrested person is Abdul Saram (33), a resident of Kanhangad. The accused had passed immigration clearance, collected his checked in baggage from the conveyor belt and opted to come out through Customs Green Channel (the Channel used for passengers without any dutiable items) and proceeded towards the exit point of the arrival hall of the Airport, when the DRI officials stopped him, following a specific intelligence information.

Saram had smuggled the saffron in two hard board boxes. All the 498 packets were concealed in different goods including diapers, body shaping pads, pampers, chocolate packets, cornflakes packet, tissue packs and biscuit packets.

Upon enquiry as to why such huge quantity of saffron was brought undeclared to customs and without payment of duty, he informed that he chose to bring the saffron in his baggage by way of concealment for the lure of money. He could not produce any valid document to claim legal possession of the same.

Saram has been booked under Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962, for an offence punishable under Section 135 of the Customs Act, 1962. The accused was produced before the Principal Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangalore, who remand him to 14 days judicial custody. Special Public Prosecutor Asha Nayak appeared for DRI.