Gold carriers feign illness to distract Customs, aid accomplices to escape

A few such incidents were recorded in Lucknow, Tiruchy, T'Puram & Chennai in last one year

- SIDDHARTH PRABHAKAR

IF one or two passengers arriving on a packed flight from an international destination suddenly fall sick at the arrival area of the airport, it might be an indication of an organised gold-smuggling racket, Customs officials at Chennai international airport have been warned.

A recent advisory sent by the Customs department's New Delhi headquarters has warned of a new modus operandi by gold smugglers, particularly in airports such as Chennai, Tiruchy, Cochin, and Thiruvananthapuram, sources said.