Mangaluru : The Customs officials at Mangaluru International Airport have seized about 1.5kg of gold valued Rs 45 lakh concealed inside four emergency lanterns from a passenger arriving from Dubai, here on Friday.

According to highly placed sources from MIA, the passenger hailing from Kasaragod, aged about 30, arrived in Air India Express flight about 5am. Customs officials who were on duty grew suspicious about a passenger who was carrying four emergency lights. Upon thorough checking of his goods he was carrying, officials found gold concealed inside emergency lights. The passenger was arrested and gold was seized.

It can be noted that customs officials from January 1 to July have seized contraband gold of 22.97-kgs valued Rs 7.06 crore.