Two couples arrested in Chennai for smuggling gold worth Rs 2.4 crore

CHENNAI: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths in Chennai arrested two couples, one of them carrying two infants, for smuggling gold worth Rs 2.4 crore from Malaysia.

Usually, flyers with kids would not be suspected for smuggling. Smugglers seemed to have started exploiting this loophole, said DRI sources.

Based on information, DRI sleuths reached Chennai airport on Tuesday morning and subjected random passengers to searches. They noticed that two couples, one of them carrying two toddlers, were uncomfortable and inquired them.

They gave evasive replies initially. Persistent grilling led to their confession that they had hidden gold in their rectums.

Rubbery balls containing gold were recovered from the both the couples. On extraction, the balls yielded to 3.8 kg gold worth Rs 2.4 crore.

Inquiries revealed that the couples were working as house helps in different places.

A man approached them and wooed them with free tickets and money to smuggle gold. “The smuggler must have trained the couples to hold the rubbery balls in their rectums," said a DRI official.
The couples were native of Hyderabad and Indore and had connecting flights from Chennai. The DRI sleuths were investigating whether the gold was destined for Chennai or their respective towns. They were also gathering information about the smuggler who engaged them.


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