Gold worth Rs 10 lakh seized from passenger at Bhubaneswar airport

Bhubaneswar: Officials of Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs Department today seized 283 grams gold from a passenger at Biju Patnaik International Airport here.

Sources said the seized gold is estimated to be worth around Rs 10 lakh.

Suspecting the movement of a passenger, who arrived at the airport from Bangkok in an Air Asia flight, the sleuths searched him thoroughly and found the gold from his shirt buttons.

“Acting on spot intelligence, officers of Air Intelligence Unit, BPIA intercepted one passenger of Indian origin, hailing from Kolkata, who had arrived from Bangkok by Air Asia flight No FD-112 yesterday. Search of his hand baggage led to recovery of silver coated metal rings made of gold of foreign origin tactfully concealed in the buttons of garments. The gold seized collectively weighed 283.240 grams having purity of 99.9% and valued at Rs 9, 83, 409 lakh,” BB Pattanaik, Assistant Commissioner of Customs, BBI Airport said.

The smuggled gold has been seized under Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation is on into the incident, the official added.

Earlier on February 19, 959.990 grams gold worth over Rs 33.16 lakh was seized from a woman passenger at the airport. The woman, a resident of Maharashtra, had arrived at the airport in an Air India flight from Delhi.