Chennai, May 10 (IANS): Chennai Air Customs on Monday said it had busted a new modus operandi of smuggling in gold.

In a statement, the Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport said officials found gold granules mixed in an instant drink mix that had arrived in a postal parcel.

Based on intelligence that smugglers may resort to smuggling of gold in postal mode, a high alert was maintained at the Foreign Post Office (FPO), and a parcel which arrived from Dubai a few days ago was intercepted on suspicion of containing gold.

The parcel was declared to contain "seeds" and addressed to a Chennai-based person.

On cutting it open, the parcel was found to have four big containers (2.5 kg) each of TANG Orange instant drink mix, along with packets of white oats and chocolates.

As thee officials found the containers to be unusually heavy, the contents were examined and found to have gold granules mixed with the orange powder.

The gold granules were then segregated from the orange powder mix by using a sieve, and a total 2.5 kg of gold granules valued at Rs. 1.20 crore was recovered and seized under the Customs Act.

Searches were carried out and it was found that the address of the receiver has been misused. The role of the postal staff is being investigated.