NEW DELHI: On Thursday, the Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs department apprehended two travellers at the Kochi airport who had landed on a domestic aircraft from Mumbai with illegal gold worth Rs 2.6 crore.

Syed Abuthahir and Barakaththullah A, two guys who are Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, natives, were travelling under the fake identities Vasudevan and Arul Selvam, respectively.

On the basis of accurate intelligence inputs, the pair was intercepted. Ten pills totaling 6,45 kg of gold were disguised in their handbags as gold. The hand luggage was turned up by a Sri Lankan national at the Mumbai airport's security hall, they said during their initial questioning,  officials said.

According to the official statement, "they sneaked the gold brought from the Gulf without customs examination with the assistance of some people at the Mumbai airport."

The pair has been detained, and a non-bailable section case has been filed against them both.

Further investigation into the matter is underway to unravel the wider smuggling network.

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