KARIPUR: In a major crackdown on illegal gold smuggling, police at Karipur International Airport seized 661 grams (82.625 sovereigns) of gold in jewelry form and taken three individuals into custody, including two passengers and an accomplice.
The contraband was intercepted from passengers who arrived from Sharjah aboard Air India Express flight IX 440 at around 9:00 AM on Friday. The arrested passengers have been identified as Khalid Andodi Thazhekuni, a native of Nadapuram, Kozhikode, and Muhammed Rahees, hailing from Nallalam, Kozhikode. The duo had concealed the gold jewelry inside their worn garments to evade detection.
The operation was jointly executed by the Malappuram District Police Chief’s Special Squad and the Karipur Police team. Authorities also arrested Haneef (Parammal House, Kizhakkoth), a native of Koduvally, who had arrived at the airport to receive the smuggled consignment. Police recovered ₹3,10,000 in cash from Haneef, which was brought to be paid as commission to the carriers.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com