Mangaluru: Customs at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) busted a new modus operandi of smuggling gold and seized foreign origin gold of 24 carat purity weighing 142.7 grams valued at Rs 4.65 lakh from an air passenger. The gold was concealed in the form of 32 mercury coated pieces in four magnetic bracelets that a passenger who arrived from Dubai by Spice Jet flight SG60 on March 19 had concealed in check-in luggage.

This seizure was made after a recent trend of passengers trying to smuggle gold in paste form stashed in their rectums. Customs on March 16, March 11, March 9 and March 4 had detected cases of passengers trying to smuggle gold paste hidden in their rectums, while on March 3 they had busted a case where an attempt was made to clandestinely bring in gold concealed as silver coated plate in the heating element of an electric travel cooker.