LNP – 10 Sri Lankans held for smuggling gold

The Customs Department has arrested two Sri Lankan men and eight women at Kempegowda International Airport for allegedly smuggling gold hidden in their bodies, officials said on Monday.

Based on a tip-off, the Customs officers made the arrests on Saturday evening. The accused travelled from Colombo airport onboard SriLankan Airlines Flight UL 171 along with 140 other passengers.

They had concealed the liquid gold in their rectum and was supposed to be given to handlers in Bengaluru.

The group was intervened by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Bengaluru Customs Department while they were on their way to the immigration bay.

After thorough examination, the officers found that the 10 accused had hidden the gold worth over Rs 1 crore in paste form.

The sleuths are conducting further investigations to identify the Bengaluru handlers.

The accused will be further interrogated to ascertain the source and nab the whole gold smuggling gang