A cabin crew member of Air India was arrested at Kochi Airport on Wednesday for gold smuggling, the Customs Preventive Commissionerate said.
The arrestee, identified as Shafi, is a native of Wayanad district in Kerala. He was arrested by Customs Preventive Commissionerate at Kochi with 1487 grams of gold.
The department said that Shafi was apprehended based on confidential information about a cabin crew member of the Bahrain-Kozhikode-Kochi service bringing gold.
The aim was to wrap the gold around the hands and cover the sleeve of the shirt and pass through the green channel. He is being interrogated further, the officials said.
In another incident, two passengers, who arrived from Singapore, were arrested at Chennai airport on Wednesday for carrying gold weighing 6.8 kg valued at Rs 3.32 crores.
The passengers had arrived in Chennai from Singapore by AI-347 and 6E-52.
Chennai Customs in a tweet said, "Based on Intel, 2 pax who arrived from Singapore by AI-347 and 6E-52 were intercepted by Customs on 07.03.23. On search of their baggage, gold totally weighing 6.8 kg valued at Rs 3.32 crore was recovered/ seized under the CA,1962. Pax were arrested and further investigation is on."
