Mangaluru: In the month of January, the officers of customs at Mangalore International Airport detected several cases of smuggling of contraband and seized 1.16 kg of gold, foreign currency equivalent to Rs 3.47 lac and 129 cartons of foreign cigarettes.

In the first case detected by the officers of the Air Intelligence Unit which was formed last month, five numbers of 10 tola gold bars, totally weighing 583.250 grams and valued over 15.45 lac were recovered. The gold bars were ingeniously concealed in the central core portion of steel type hot and cold water tap mixers brought in a carton by a passenger who arrived from Dubai.

Further, in another seizure, airport customs officers seized 581 grams of gold valued over Rs 15.33 lac found concealed in the form of washers fixed to the lining of two stroller bags carried by a passenger, who arrived from Dubai.

In another detection, foreign currency amounting to 18,500 UAE Dirhams equivalent to Rs 3,46,875 were seized from the possession of a passenger departing to Dubai, as the same was attempted to be smuggled out of India without valid documents. Besides, 129 cartons of foreign cigarettes valued about Rs 2.04 lac were recovered and seized in five cases as they were devoid of statutory pictorial warning.

The officers have been profiling the passengers who are frequent travellers with short visits, to thwart their efforts to smuggle contraband. Considering the frequent detections being made, the smugglers are changing their modes of concealment and adopting novel modus operandi. However, the officers are thwarting such efforts by adopting the profiling techniques coupled with filed intelligence.

Further investigations are under progress.