Mangaluru: In the month of September, Mangaluru International Airport customs officers have detected 18 cases of smuggling of contraband goods and recovered 1133.000 grams of gold, foreign currency equivalent to INR 12.74 lakhs and 236 cartons of foreign cigarettes having no statutory pictorial warning, totally valued over Rs.52 Lakhs.

Dr M Subramaniyam, Commissioner of customs in press release said that the major detection was taken place on September 27, were the officers had seized 1.05 kg’s of gold, which were in cylindrical type. The value of the gold is Rs 32.91 lakh. It was seized from a passenger, who was carrying it in a black coloured hand bag. The passenger was travelling by Air India Flight No. IX 814 from Dubai. The passenger was also arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

Same day, the officers have seized three small sized golf biscuits and 25 gold coins valued about Rs.2.52 lakhs found in a hand bag.

Moreover, officials have also seized foreign currency equivalent to INR 12.74 lakh, from the possession of three passengers departing to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Thorough profiling of passengers also enabled detection of thirteen cases of smuggling of foreign brand cigarettes having no statutory pictorial warnings and 236 cartons of foreign cigarettes valued about Rs.4.25 lakhs were confiscated.