Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 19: In two separate cases during the last two days, customs officials at the international airport here succeeded in foiling attempts made by two persons to smuggle 554.90 grams of gold worth Rs 21.33 lac into the country.

In one of these cases, the officials came across ingenuity of a passenger. He had glued a wig to the tonsured head by concealing gold inside. The passenger, who arrived from Dubai on Tuesday, was found to be carrying 247.7 grams of gold worth Rs 9.57 lac under his wig. 24 carat gold in small pieces were found stuffed under his wig.

In the past, the customs officers had found passengers concealing gold in their rectum. The attempt to smuggle gold covered by wig was the first for them.

In the other case, a passenger who came from Abu Dhabi had 307.2 grams of 24 carat gold worth Rs 11.76 lac. He had tried to hide a golden belt inside a thing which looked like a roll of tape.