Siliguri, May 21 (IANS): Two people were arrested after about three kg gold with a market price of Rs. 82.65 lakh was seized from them by excise officials in Bagdogra Airport in northern West Bengal on Thursday, officials said.
Excise department official Sujit Kumar said the gold was smuggled from Thailand on a Druk Air Flight.
After the flight landed in Bagdogra, the x-ray machines detected the precious metal, and the security personnel were put on alert.
The gold was found after a search of two of the passengers - Amit Barma and Ankur Soni. The seized yellow metal weighed 2.98814 kg.
On interrogation, the duo confessed that there were plans to smuggle the gold to Chandigarh, Kumar said.