Bengaluru: In an unusual twist of the events at the Kempegowda International Airport here on Thursday night, a gang 18 smugglers from Tamil Nadu landed in customs nets with gold pasta in their rectum.
Gang members fly down from the abyss on two flights and bring almost 5kg of gold worth Rs 2.4 Crore on their bodies.
The men were booked for customs avoidance and gold confiscated.
The air intelligence unit (AIU) officer Bengaluru thread has a difficult time after experienced smuggling gangs, with a strong base in Tamil Nadu, touched in Kia pretending to return from the bay.
“A man flew down from Dubai, while 17 others touched from Sharjah.
Gang 18 tried to pass security checks with smugged gold, hoping they would exceed the number of customs officials on duty.
Be aware of the situation, our team intercepted each smuggler, all of which Is an Indian passport holder and from Tamil Nadu, “said an investigative officer.
Customs sleuths collect all 18 smugglers, which have a history of many visits to the bay for smuggling purposes.
The suspects handed over gold hidden in the form of pasta in capsules made of duct tape.
“Since March we have witnessed a surge in smuggling efforts by gangs based in Tamil Nadu.
We suspect they have chosen a new route, Bengaluru Airport, to smuggle gold and other valuables.
But we are determined to solve the smuggling network from a ravine through Bengaluru.
Even though it became a boring operation with limited resources, we arrested all 18 on Thursday, “added senior customs officials.