Rs 95-lakh gold seized from Amritsar airport

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 1

Customs officials seized gold worth Rs 95 lakh at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in the past two days.

Two foreign nationals, travelling from Dubai, had concealed gold worth Rs 44 lakh in their rectum to dodge the officials at the Amritsar airport on Sunday, but were caught.

Though the identification of accused has not been revealed due to investigation concerns, officials said they arrived at the airport via India Express IX 192 flight, but were apprehended as they appeared suspicious.

On their search, six gold biscuits and 12 cut pieces of 24-karat gold biscuits of foreign origin weighing 1.398 kg were recovered. “They confessed concealment and smuggling of gold into India. Both have been arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962,” said an official.

In two instances on June 30 and July 1, the officials nabbed 18 Turkmenistan nationals, including 15 women, travelling from Ashgabat via Turkmenistan Airlines. They were carrying gold worth Rs 40 lakh with the intention of smuggling in form of chins, rings and bracelets. In yet another case, a Canadian, who had arrived from Dubai via Spice Jet flight on June 30, was arrested with a gold chain weighing 300 gm worth Rs 9.5 lakh.

BSF recovers 3-kg heroin from border

Amritsar: The BSF personnel recovered 3.3-kg heroin from Reear Kakkar Border Out Post falling in the Amritsar sector on Sunday. Officials said on a tip-off, a special search operation was carried out in the area from where the search party recovered three unclaimed tractor drawbars filled with the contraband. TNS