Bhubaneswar: After a brief lull, a passenger was caught at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here while carrying gold from Bangkok.
Sources said the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) of Customs seized five gold biscuits weighing around 355.12 gram worth `11, 37, 094 from a passenger who arrived here this evening by an Air India flight (AI-339) from Bangkok. He had hid the yellow metal in his rectum.
The man, who was detained by the Customs officials, was planning to take these gold bars to Kerala via Bhubaneswar, the source added.
According to customs officials, while they were conducting the checking process, they grew suspicious over the activities of a passenger following which they intercepted him when he crossed the green channel without declaring any dutiable item. On frisking, it was found that the passenger was hiding the gold biscuits in his rectum.
Although the name of the passenger is yet to be known, he hails from Kozhikode in Kerala. He has been detained under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation is underway.
Earlier, many such cases were reported at the airport since the first international flight took off April 26 last year. On May 4, gold bars worth `9.6 lakh were recovered from a passenger and then, three days after, May 7, another passenger was caught for carrying multiple gold bars weighing 5.82 kg worth around `1.8 crore. They both were coming from Kuala Lumpur.
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