Chennai, Nov 13 (IANS): Chennai Air Customs on Friday said that they have busted a gold smuggling racket involving an airport housekeeping contract staff.

In a statement issued, the Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport said officials of air intelligence unit noticed a janitor going inside the toilet.

When followed, the janitor Gnanasekar, employed by Service Master Clean Ltd (SMCL) was caught taking out two bundles from a waste bucket.

"On cut opening the bundles three gold paste packets weighing 2 kg were recovered. On extraction 1.81 kg of gold valued at Rs 93.2 lakh was recovered and seized under Customs Act," the statement said.

On interrogation, he informed that one Shankar, his colleague told him to collect the bundles from transit toilet on orders from Kumar his boss who is working as a Supervisor in M/s SMCL.

The suspect passenger Sheikhussman, 35, of Trichy was intercepted at the exit.

The passenger received a call from someone outside the airport who had come to receive him.

"He was taken out and the receiver was apprehended when he approached him. He was identified as one Syed Ibrahim Shah,21, of Chennai. Kumar who was not at the airport was apprehended later on.

Kumar is the mastermind of this smuggling racket. All five have been arrested," the statement said.

In another case based on information Etihad Airways flight which arrived from Abu Dhabi was rummaged.

Three bundles were recovered from the two toilets in aircraft during rummaging.

On cut opening four gold bars of 1 kg each with foreign markings and three rectangular gold plates totally weighing 5.1 kg valued at Rs. 2.63 crore were recovered and seized as unclaimed.

Total 6.9 kg gold worth Rs 3.6 crore seized by Customs at Chennai Airport.