Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Nov 8: The officers of customs air intelligence unit with the assistance of the customs batch officers at Mangalore International Airport on Monday November 7 undertook careful profiling and screening of passengers and their accompanied baggage. This resulted in busting of a unique modus operandi of gold smuggling and seizure of primary gold ingeniously concealed in the form of assorted silver coloured paint-coated objects of various shapes and sizes.

The gold was concealed with silver paint in the form of beads in chain and bracelets, circular objects in door handle locks, buckles of chappals, sheet in talcum powder tin, circular sheets in face cream tins, key chain rings, strips in measuring tapes, buttons on woolen jackets, adaptable screw driver headbits and watch strip-holders which were in turn placed in a carton.

The gold totally weighing about 1,096 grams valued over Rs 33.56 lacs, was attempted to be smuggled by cleverly concealing as above by a passenger who arrived by Air India Flight No IX814 from Dubai.

The passenger was arrested and produced before N Sunil Kumar Singh, principal civil judge (senior division) and chief judicial magistrate, Mangaluru, who remanded him in judicial custody, stated a media release from the customs commissioner's office.

The name of the passenger has not been revealed.

It is a usual approach followed by smugglers that as and when a new mode of concealment is detected by officers, the smugglers change such modus operandi and devise and adopt another one to avoid detection, stated the media release.