BENGALURU: Thwarting yet another attempt to smuggle gold through Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru Customs sleuths arrested a man from Maharashtra who was carrying gold paste worth Rs 44.9 lakh in his underpants.
The suspect landed at KIA on Etihad Airways flight EY-216 from Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Based on specific information, Customs sleuths at the arrival bay carried out passenger profiling and intercepted a young man who had disembarked from the flight. During questioning, he revealed he was a native of Maharashtra but could not provide convincing answers for his landing in Bengaluru or his purpose of travel to Abu Dhabi.
The Customs team frisked him and found he had concealed something in the waist region. At their instance, the man pulled out four packets containing gold paste from his underwear.
Investigators seized and solidified the gold paste to establish that it weighed 881.9 grams, estimated to be worth over Rs 44.9 lakh. The passenger was arrested for gold smuggling and Customs duty evasion. tnn
