New Delhi: An aide of senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has reportedly been detained from the IGI Airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle in gold estimated to be valued at over Rs 55 lakh.

According to sources, Shiv Prasad was detained on Wednesday by Customs officials at Terminal 3 of the IGI Airport where a search led to the detection of gold weighing over 800 grams. Prasad apparently could not present satisfactory responses or any convincing account when asked about the precious metal.

Shashi Tharoor, a former Union Minister, is currently the sitting MP from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency.