Man arrested for smuggling gold bars at airport

Sleuths of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), regional unit, Mangaluru, recovered four gold bars that a passenger had hidden in his rectum at Mangaluru International Airport. The 24-carat gold bars worth Rs 10.5 lakh weighed 349.8 gm.

A press release from DRI deputy director Vinayak Bhat said that acting on a credible input that an international passenger, by name Chattanchal Abdul Razak (49) hailing from Kasargod, would attempt to smuggle gold biscuits into the country, the DRI officers of regional unit intercepted him on Wednesday at the airport shortly after his arrival from Dubai by Spice Jet flight SG 60. Later, a thorough interrogation and examination of the passenger revealed that he had concealed four gold bars inside his rectum. The bars were safely removed after taking advice of medical professionals.

The contraband gold was later seized by the officers of DRI under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

The passenger, upon interrogation, admitted he is a regular in this business. As revealed from his passport, he has been frequently landing at various airports like Mangaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Bengaluru, Goa and Lucknow.

He has also revealed that he brought gold into the country by secreting it inside his rectum as he knew that the customs check at airports will concentrate mainly on baggage screening and frisking.