Air India Cabin crew caught smuggling 1.4 Kg of gold wrapped around his hand in Kochi

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

Kochi, Mar 09, 2023: An Air India cabin crew was caught ‘gold-handed’ trying to smuggle nearly 1,500 grams of gold at Kochi airport, according to officials.

Shafi who hails from Wayanad was arrested after he was caught with 1,487 grams of gold wrapped around his hands. His shirt sleeves were used as a cover to pass through the green channel, reports ANI.

 

As per today’s gold rate, the 1,487 grams of gold that Shafi tried to smuggle would be worth over Rs 75 lakhs.

Pictures of Shafi showed gold flattened and put into a plastic cover which was then wrapped around his hands.

 

Kochi | Air India cabin crew Shafi, a native of Wayanad, was arrested at Kochi Airport for smuggling 1,487 gms of gold. The cabin crew was of Bahrain-Kozhikode-Kochi service. Further interrogation underway: Customs Preventive Commissionerate pic.twitter.com/1nxVzF2fA7

— ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2023

The Customs Preventive Commissionerate had reportedly received confidential information that Shafi, a cabin crew member on the Bahrain-Kozhikode-Kochi flight, was trying to smuggle gold into the country.

Officials also said that further investigation is underway and Shafi is being interrogated by customs officials.

Gold Bars Seized in Chennai

Meanwhile, gold bars worth Rs 3.32 crore were seized at Chennai International Airport. Two passengers including a Sri Lankan citizen were arrested in the case, the customs department told PTI.

Upon receiving specific inputs, the authorities intercepted two passengers who arrived in Chennai from Singapore on Tuesday and retrieved 68 gold bars that weighed 6.8 kgs. The gold was reportedly concealed in their baggage, principal commissioner of customs M Mathew Jolly said.

The gold recovered from them was valued at Rs 3.32 crore. The duo was arrested and an investigation was ongoing, the official added.