Customs dept busts gold smuggling syndicate at Chennai International airport

Chennai: In a major intelligence operation, the Customs department at the airport here has busted a syndicate which was involved in smuggling of 267 kg of gold worth Rs 167 crore from Sri Lanka, during the last two months.

An intelligence tip-off led to the arrest of a shop-owner, his staff who were allegedly involved in the crime.

A press release from Chennai International Airport, Principal Commissioner R Srinivasa Naik said a sales executive of the Airhub shop located at the international terminal was intercepted on suspicious movement and during a personal search by the sleuths of the department, three bundles of gold concealed in his body were recovered. He had received the contraband from a transit passenger, a Sri Lankan national.

Further probe revealed that the smugglers hailing from Sri Lanka had rented the Airhub shop and had recruited eight persons to receive gold from transit passengers.

These individuals, upon receiving the gold from air passengers, would conceal it in their body and smuggle it out of the airport. "Under this modus operandi, they successfully smuggled 267 kg of gold worth Rs 167 crore in a span of two months," the release said.

The Sri Lankan national who had handed over the gold, the owner (of Airhub shop) and staff were arrested and sent to judicial custody. Further investigation was on, the release added.