Jaipur, May 27 (IANS): A passenger smuggling 1.44 kg gold paste worth around Rs 71 lakh was detained at Jaipur International Airport and sent to jail, officials said on Saturday.

Officials said that the gold was brought to Jaipur by an Air Arabia flight. The accused smuggler is originally from Rajasthan and has been a frequent traveller abroad.

The man had hidden the gold paste in his inner wear and shoes.

According to customs officials, "The passenger landed at Jaipur airport on May 26 from Air Arabia flight number G9435 from Sharjah. The team got information and detained him at the airport premises. When the accused denied carrying any gold, the customs officers scanned the accused and his baggage. During scanning, gold paste was found hidden in shoe soles and inner wear of the accused weighing 1.44 kilograms."

Customs officials said, "The accused is basically a resident of Shekhawati. The accused had travelled abroad in the past as well. Since he failed to give any satisfactory reply, he was produced before the court which sent him to jail," they added.