Chennai, Feb 2 (IANS): Customs officials at Chennai Airport on Tuesday seized 588 gm gold valued at Rs 29.74 lakh from two passengers who arrived from Dubai and Singapore.

The authorities recovered four gold paste bundles from the rectum of the passenger who arrived from Dubai. The passenger who landed from Singapore had concealed 158 gm gold inside a cordless machine.

The officials have seized the gold and registered two separate cases under the Customs Act.

The latest seizure was made close on the heels of recovery of gold worth Rs 2.17 crore from seven passengers who had arrived from Dubai and Sharjah. The passengers had swallowed capsules of gold paste wrapped with polythene/rubber cover.

The passengers, who had landed on January 22, admitted to concealing gold paste capsules in their stomach and rectum during questioning by the officials. After an eight-day process at a government hospital, the authorities recovered the capsules.

Chief Commissioner of Customs, Chennai Zone, M.V.S. Choudary had revealed on January 26 that Chennai Customs zone had detected a total of 481 smuggling cases involving Rs 64.14 crore in the past one year till January 21. Of these, Rs 55.58 crore pertained to gold smuggling.