Gold, mobile phones worth lakhs seized at 2 int'l airports in Kerala

Kochi: Tightening the noose around smugglers, Customs sleuths in two international airports in Kerala have seized gold and mobile phones worth lakhs of rupees from passengers arriving from abroad.

Four passengers have been detained for questioning in connection with the seizures effected on Saturday night, Customs officials said here.

Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said Customs (Preventive) officials at the Kozhikode International Airport detected two cases of four gold biscuits each concealed in headlamps of emergency lamps, from carriers coming from Dubai.

The seized 930 grams gold is valued at approximately Rs 30 kakh.

Two passengers have been detained for questioning in Kozhikode, Kumar said.

Officials of the Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs at the Cochin International Airport have seized 16 mobile phones and accessories valued at Rs 3,56,300 from a passenger coming from China via Kuala Lumpur.

Another seizure of 125.82 gm gold jewellery was also effected from a passenger coming from Dubai by an Air India flight, Kumar said.