A Man carrying 810 grams of 24-carat gold valued over Rs.40 lakh in his rectum from Dubai to Chennai was apprehended. Customs authorities have arrested the traveller and are conducting an investigation.
The gold was carried in the form of four bundles of gold paste weighing 948 grams. Gold weighing 810 gm and worth Rs.40.35 lakh was extracted from the bundles.
According to Customs rules, male Indian residents returning from abroad are entitled to a duty-free allowance of bringing gold ornaments weighing up to 20 gm and worth not more than Rs 50,000. The duty-free allowance for women is 40 gm worth not more than Rs 1,00,000.
This allowance, however, applies only to gold carried in the form of ornaments. Those who have stayed abroad enjoy some relaxations.
The seizure of gold being illegally carried from abroad, especially from the Gulf countries, is not a rare event in Chennai airport.
In December last year, two men returning from Dubai were arrested with bags of gold paste in their rectum. Customs officials seized 706 gm of gold worth Rs 35.5 lakh that were transported in the form of bundles of gold paste.
This January, Customs authorities in Chennai made several seizures over 3 days, adding up to a haul of 9 kg of the precious metal.
The officials searched 17 passengers back from Dubai and found that they were carrying 48 bundles of gold paste in their rectums. Gold weighing 7.72 kg and worth Rs 3.93 crores was recovered from the bundles. Further search led to the recovery of 12 gold cut bits weighing 386 grams and a gold chain weighing 74 gm from the passengers’ handbags.
The total gold recovered, 8.18 kg, was worth ₹ 4.16 crore, according to the Customs. Eight persons, including a woman, were arrested in this connection.
In another case at the same time, a man was arrested after he was found to be carrying 3 bundles of gold paste inside his rectum. On extraction, gold worth Rs 14 lakh was seized.
