Air India cabin crew member held for smuggling 1.5 kg gold at Kochi airport

In a shocking incident, a member of the Air India cabin crew was arrested by customs officials at the Kochi Airport on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to smuggle gold on a flight. The accused, identified as Shafi, a native of Wayanad in Kerala, was caught with 1,487 grams of gold by the Customs Preventive Commissionerate. 

As per a news report from ANI, Shafi intended to pass through the green channel by wrapping the gold over his hands, covering his shirt sleeves, and donning them. He is currently being interrogated by the officials.

In another incident on the same day, two passengers arriving from Singapore were arrested at the Chennai airport for carrying 6.8 kg of gold valued at Rs 3.32 crores. The passengers arrived on flights AI-347 and 6E-52 in Chennai from Singapore. The Chennai Customs officials intercepted the passengers based on intelligence inputs and recovered the gold from their baggage. The passengers were arrested, and further investigation is ongoing, ANI reported.

Both incidents highlight the continued prevalence of gold smuggling in India, which has been a persistent issue for law enforcement agencies. Authorities have been stepping up their efforts to curb smuggling and illegal trafficking of gold, but the problem persists due to the high demand for the precious metal in the country. 

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