On Thursday morning based on   intelligence that gold is likely to be smuggled by some Korean passenger arriving from Honk Kong  by Cathay Pacific flight CX 631, a special team comprising of  officers of  Customs officers comprising of Air Intelligence Unit and Rummaging & Intelligence Wing was formed and a special watch was kept in Customs area  to nab the smuggler. During early morning   officers noticed that one tall and well built male passenger  was walking hurriedly in a rather suspicious manner towards the exit gate  with his hand baggage . He was   intercepted at the exit and questioned by officers as to why was he in a hurry and had he anything to declare. As the passenger became  nervous and was evasive in his replies so  he was taken for personal search along with his  hand bags. From his passport he  was identified  as Chang Sic Ban (36), a resident of Seoul , Republic of Korea who had arrived  from Hong Kong by Cathay Pacific flight CX 631. During his personal search  when he was asked to remove his sports shoes, he became hyper tensed. Two unusually heavy  packets wrapped in newspapers were found one in each shoe. On opening the packets  two  gold bars weighing  1 Kg each were found in each packet. Total 4 gold bars having foreign markings  “ ARG UAE 1 Kilo 999.9 fine gold melter assayer” were  recovered from his shoes. Total 4 gold bars of 24 K purity, weighing 4 kg valued at Rs.1.56   Crores were recovered.  The same were seized under the provisions of Customs Act, 1962. He was arrested.

            During questioning   Chang informed  that  he was a graduate in architecture  but was working as a fitness trainer as he has a passion for fitness. He further informed that the  gold was handed over to him by an unknown person outside Honk Kong airport. In Chennai he  was to handover the  same to some  unknown person  in the city  who would identify him by his picture.

 

Further investigations are under progress, according to the press release issued by the        Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport, Chennai.

 

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