Based on intelligence that gold was likely to be smuggled by a passenger arriving from Sharjah by Air India express flight  IX-1636, AIU officers kept special watch to nab the smuggler.A passenger who appeared to be in  hurry and was trying to rush through with a carton box, was intercepted at the exit. He was identified as one Jahir Hussain, 54, of Thiruvrur(T.N). On opening the carton box clothes, household items and a toolkit was found  inside. Inside the tool kit a ‘Electric Wrench’ machine used for opening nuts and bolts was found which appeared to be unusually heavy. On unscrewing the machine one cylindrical metal piece painted black was found concealed inside. The gold assayer removed the black paint and certified the metal cylinder to be made of gold of weighing 1.16 Kg of 24 K purity valued at Rs 64  lakhs. The same was  recovered and seized under Customs Act 1962.

The passenger informed that the tool kit was handed to him by an unknown person in Sharjah airport with instructions to hand over the same to someone who  will contact him once he reaches his Quarantine facility( a 5 star hotel)  in Guindy. In a swift operation after getting his swab test done, one AIU team boarded the bus along with  the passenger and another followed the bus. On reaching the hotel the passenger contacted the receiver who was waiting outside and handed over the tool kit. The passenger and the receiver Mohammad Asif ,33, of Chennai were apprehended at the time of handing over. Both have been arrested.

Further investigation is under process.

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