60 illegal gold bars valued at ₹ 4.21 crore were recovered from the toilet of a Dubai to Chennai aircraft at Chennai International Airport on Saturday.
Customs authorities said the bars of foreign marking and weighed 9.02 kg. The goods were seized under relevant sections of the Customs Act, 1962 and an investigation is on. Officials had received information about gold bars arriving in flight No 6E-66 that came from Dubai at 4 pm on June 2, said an official release.
The Chennai customs department tweeted an image of the goods.
In another incident, the Customs authorities seized gold rods worth ₹ 25.87 lakh from a 61-year-old passenger arriving from Dubai. The man is a resident of the Pudukottai district in Tami Nadu. He had concealed 11 gold rods in his tool kit.
The Chennai Bench of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) consisting of P.Dinesha (Judicial Member) had earlier said gold bars with foreign making can be confiscated if the source is not explained. It will be considered the importation of a prohibited good.