Mangaluru : The officers of Customs at Mangalore International Airport seized about 2 kgs of gold powder valued over Rs.53 lakhs from two passengers who arrived from Dubai.
Based on the behaviour and responses to specific questions, the officers zeroed in on to two passengers, who had arrived from Dubai with assorted consumer items. As the passengers could not provide satisfactory replies, their accompanied baggage were subjected to detailed examination, which resulted in recovery of gold in the form of coarse powder, ingeniously concealed in assorted items like tooth pastes, shampoo, face cream, Boost powder, Vaseline etc., which were carried by both the passengers.
On sustained interrogation, the passengers have deposed that they have intentionally concealed the subject gold to avoid detection by Customs and to evade payment of appropriate Customs duties. Owing to the fact that the passengers were not eligible passengers to import gold and since the subject gold has been smuggled into India in contravention of the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, read with the Baggage Rules, 1998, the 2 kgs of gold valued over Rs.53 lakhs was seized.
The passengers were arrested on 28.10.2015 and later produced before the Principal Civil Judge (Senior Division) and Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangalore, who remanded them to judicial custody today for 15 days.
Further investigation is under progress.