Air Customs officials seized gold worth Rs. 48.9 lakh (USD 67,163) from southern India's Chennai International Airport on February 7. The suspects were intercepted at the terminal of the airport.

Visuals witnessing the smuggled item feature six gold bars wrapped with black adhesive tape inside a cotton pouch. A molten chunk of metal is also retrieved with other objects. Two additional white bundles crammed with gold can also be seen amid other illicit assets.

A 38-year-old, identified as Abubakkar Sithik of Ramanathapuram, arrived from Dubai by Fly Dubai flight FZ 8517. He was intercepted at the exit, and on further examination, two bundles of gold paste were found concealed in the rectum. On extraction, it bore 416 grams (0.91 lbs) of gold worth Rs. 19.9 lakh (USD 27,330).

In another case, a rummaging of Indigo flight 6E-66, three rectangular pieces wrapped with black adhesive tape was discovered inside a cotton pouch from the hollow pipe under the seat of the aircraft.

There were six gold bars of foreign marking inside it. It each weighed 100 grams (0.22 lbs) and was seized. A total of 600 grams (1.3 lbs) of gold valued at Rs. 29 lakh (USD 39,828) was recovered as an unclaimed precious metal.

A total of 1.01 kg (2.2 lbs) gold worth Rs. 48.9 lakh (USD 67,163) was seized under the Customs Act. Further investigation into the matter is underway.