Gold and foreign currency worth $ 183300 ( Rs 1.35 crores ) was seized at Chennai International Airport in Chennai on December 14 in Tamil Nadu, the south Indian state.

Gold paste, gold coins hidden in a carton box and mobile phone cover being recovered by the customs officials.

Bundles of currency notes hidden inside a bag being seized.

All the recovered gold ornaments, gold paste, gold coins and currency notes are displayed on the table.

The reports state that the seven passengers identified as Askar Ali (44), Sharim Foulath (20), Shaik Abdulla (41), Kader Hussain (47), MohamedIbrahim (45),Natheem Khan (30) and Yakub (62) arrived at Chennai airport from Dubai by flight IX-1644 intercepted and taken into custody on suspicion of smuggling gold.

And eight passengers identified as Mohamed Hussain (26), ManiKandan Subramani (26), Shamirul Khan (29), Abdul Arasath Parveez (21), Mohamed Hanifa (27), Thameem Ansari (23), Mohamed Farooq (22) and Askarali (28) arrived at Chennai airport from Dubai by Fly Dubai flight FZ 8517.

Another passenger named Sowkath Ali (28) from Ramanathapuram arrived at Chennai airport from Dubai by Air India Express IX 1643.

6 gold chains, gold pastes hidden behind a phone cover, gold coins from the carton box and currency notes from two bags were recovered.

The total value of gold seized was $ 167007 ( Rs 1.23 crores ) and currency notes worth $ 16293 (Rs 12 lakhs).

Smuggled items were seized under customs act and further investigation is under process.