Chennai: Air Customs officers on Monday (May 10) caught 2.5 kg gold granules being smuggled in juice powder on the Chennai airport.
The officers maintained a good vigil primarily based on intelligence on gold smuggling through parcels on the overseas submit workplace.
A postal parcel from Dubai, which was stated to comprise seeds was intercepted on suspicion of containing gold. The parcel which was consigned to a Chennai-based individual was then lower open and examined.
According to officers, it contained 4 containers of a branded Instant Orange juice mix, together with packets of oats and candies. However, when the containers had been intently examined, they had been discovered to be unusually heavy.
The containers had their unique aluminium foil lids, however their contents had been a combination of gold granules and juice mix powder.
2.5kg of gold granules price Rs 1.20 crores had been recovered and seized beneath the Customs Act.
“Searches carried out at the recipient’s address revealed some discrepancy. The role of the postal staff is being probed,” stated officers.
This methodology of smuggling through granules is alleged to be a brand new modus operandi that has been foiled, they added.
