Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Oct 21: The officers of customs at Mangalore International Airport have seized various contraband goods like silver coated gold powder concealed in milk powder, saffron and foreign brand cigarettes in commercial quantity, in the last three days.

All the said goods were attempted to be smuggled through Mangalore International Airport by passengers who had arrived from Dubai and failed to declare the same to customs, with an intention to evade payment of appropriate customs duties, stated a press release from Mangaluru airport.

The officers seized about one kg of silver coated gold powder which was cleverly concealed in milk powder to avoid detection, valued over Rs 26 lac, from a passenger who arrived from Dubai. On a reasonable suspicion, the officers questioned the passenger as to whether he possessed any dutiable items to be declared to customs. However, the passenger was incoherent while responding to the officers. Therefore his baggage was subjected to a detailed examination. The detailed and thorough examination of the baggage coupled with the expertise and experience of the officers, enabled detection of such ingenious concealment of coarse silver coated gold granules in milk powder, stated the press release.

The customs officers seized the gold under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and Baggage Rules, 1998 and the passenger was arrested and produced before the principal civil judge (senior division) and chief judicial magistrate, Mangaluru, who remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days.

In another case, the officers of customs at Mangaluru airport seized two kg of 'Rayehe' brand saffron filaments of grade 2, valued over Rs 2.50 lac from a passenger.

The passenger attempted to smuggle the saffron by concealing it among diapers of Pampers brand in the checked-in baggage.

Further, in three separate cases, the officers seized 90 cartons of cigarettes, devoid of the statutory pictorial warnings printed on the cartons, valued at over Rs 1.20 lac, which were brought in commercial quantity by the passengers.

Altogether, the contraband items of diverse nature seized in the last three days are valued at about Rs 30 lac. The names of the accused passengers have not been disclosed.