Holy Smokes! MIA Customs seize 12 Kg Smoking Tobacco and 1.7 Kgs Gold
Mangaluru: As per the statement released by Commissioner of Customs-Dr M Subramaniyam, during January 2017, the Customs officers at Mangalore International Airport seized contraband valued over Rs 57.60 lakhs.
In the first instance of smuggling, gold in the form of English alphabet “E” shaped silver coloured plates totally weighing about 759.200 grams valued over Rs 21.56 lakhs were found ingeniously concealed in the transformer portion of an AC/DC cooler Fan. The same modus operandi was used after 3 weeks wherein gold concealed in the transformer portion of a stereo amplifier and transformer portion of a pump of a medical mattress totally weighing 947.500 grams valued over Rs 27.47 lakhs were found concealed. In both the cases, the passengers were arrested. Further investigations are under progress.
Further smoking tobacco weighing 11.975 kgs valued over Rs 5.26 lakhs tightly wrapped with plastic covers and found concealed along with personal effects were seized. Besides, 9 cases of smuggling of foreign brand cigarettes were also detected during the month involving 251 cartons of various foreign brand cigarettes valued over Rs.3.31 lakhs which were confiscated.
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