Malappuram: The Air Intelligence unit of the Customs seized 5.4 kilograms of gold valued approximately at Rs 3 crore over two days at the Karipur Aiport (Calicut International Airport).
Five of the six persons booked for smuggling had concealed gold inside the rectum. The other passegner, Karumbarukuzhiyil Muhammad Midlaj (21), hailing from Koduvally, Kozhikode, had 985 grams of the precious metal in sheet form concealed in the check-in baggage. He was travelling from Dubai.
The other accused are, Muhammad Basheer Parayarukandiyil (40) also from Koduvally, Azeez Kollantavita (45) of Chelarkkad, Kozhikode, Sameer (34) and Abdul Sakkeer (34), both natives of Malappuram and Ligeesh (40), hailing from Kakkattil.
Basheer, who arrived from Riyadh, was arrested with two capsules of gold compound weighing 619 grams. Azeez was held with four capsules weighing 970 grams. He had arrived from Doha by Air India Express.
The Malappuram natives Sameer and Sakkeer had boarded at Jeddah and had 1,277 grams and 1,066 grams of gold respectively in their possession.
Ligeesh was taken into custody after the CISF and the Kerala Police foiled an attempt to abduct him from outside the airport. Two capsules of gold compound weighing 543 grams were seized from him.