Panaji: Two Keralites smuggling gold from Dubai arrested at Goa airport

Panaji, Aug 11 (IANS) Two Indians returning from Dubai on an Air India flight were arrested at Dabolim international airport here with gold worth Rs.18.17 lakh they were seeking to smuggle into the country, the customs department said.

Customs’ air intelligence unit arrested Abdul Manaf and Thachotta Kunnummel, both natives of Karnataka, after 800 gms gold was found in their trouser pockets.

“The accused were travelling via Air India flight AI-984 from Dubai to Goa via Mumbai,” a customs statement said.

The Dabolim facility, a military-operated airport, has emerged as a major transit facility for smugglers ferrying of gold enroute to Karnataka, Kerala, etc. In this year so far, customs officials have seized gold worth nearly Rs.3.5 crore at the airport from passengers mostly travelling to the tourist state from the Gulf region.