Andhra woman arrested at KIA for smuggling 4.4-kg gold

Sleuths from the Customs Department, on Sunday, arrested a passenger at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on the charge of smuggling gold biscuits. 

The suspect was identified as Kunduru Thulasamma, 52, who hails from Andhra Pradesh. The sleuths recovered 38 gold biscuits each of 10 tola, totally weighing 4.4 kg, worth Rs 1.27 crore.

According to the Customs officials, the suspect travelled from Dubai in an Emirates flight and landed at KIA around 3 am. As per the initial plan, she had to travel to Hyderabad directly from Dubai, but the plan was changed at the eleventh hour and she boarded a flight to Bengaluru. She was sitting in a wheelchair to divert the attention of the Customs Department staff. She was to meet a person outside the KIA and hand over the gold biscuits, said the officials.

She had concealed the biscuits in a cotton bag which was tied around her stomach, which was detected during screening at the airport. She did not produce valid documents, including the duty-paid receipt pertaining to the gold biscuits.The woman neither gave a satisfactory reason for transporting the gold. Hence, she was arrested immediately, added the officials.

Thulasamma claimed that she did not know anything about the racket, but said that she was promised Rs 4.5 lakh as commission for delivering the gold biscuits to a person who would meet her outside the KIA. She was produced before a court and her bail plea was rejected. She has been remanded in judicial custody till February 29, added the officials.