Kochi: The Customs unit at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) arrested a young couple from Tamil Nadu after seizing 1.35 kg of smuggled gold, concealed as gold paste stitched into their clothing, at the international terminal.
The accused have been identified as Rifnas Hamed Mohammed Sharif (26) and his wife Janofer Kadar Beevi Umar Farook (23), both natives of Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu. They arrived at Kochi from Abu Dhabi on Air India Express flight IX 418 on Monday morning.
According to Customs officials, the couple came under suspicion during routine passenger profiling at the arrival terminal. A detailed personal examination revealed that gold paste had been carefully sandwiched and stitched into the waist portion of the trousers they were wearing in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
After extracting the chemical compound, Customs recovered 1,353.92 grams of 24-karat gold valued at ₹1,93,55,640. Both passengers were arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the gold was seized.
Customs sources said the case reflects the evolving methods adopted by gold smuggling syndicates. Instead of carrying conventional gold bars that are more likely to trigger metal detectors, smugglers are increasingly using gold in paste or other chemical forms and concealing it in innovative ways to bypass airport security.
“Profiling, intelligence inputs and meticulous personal searches continue to play a crucial role in detecting such cases, as chemical forms of gold may not always be easily detected through conventional screening systems,” a Customs official said.
Officials said smugglers have been resorting to concealment techniques such as stitching gold into garments, hiding it inside specially designed waist belts, concealing it beneath footwear insoles, within baggage frames, and even internally carrying capsule-shaped packets.
A detailed investigation is underway to determine whether the couple acted as first-time carriers or were part of a larger organised smuggling network. Customs teams are also probing the Kerala and Tamil Nadu-based links of the racket to identify the handlers who recruited the carriers, the intended receivers outside the airport and the financiers behind the operation.
