Pudukottai Couple Arrested at Kochi Airport With Rs 1.94 Crore Gold Paste in Trousers

A married couple from Pudukottai district in Tamil Nadu was arrested by Customs officials at Cochin International Airport on Monday after they were allegedly caught smuggling gold paste worth nearly Rs 2 crore. The husband and wife, who had arrived on a flight from Abu Dhabi, had hidden the gold paste inside their clothing to evade detection.

The arrested passengers have been identified as 26-year-old Rifnas Hamed Mohammed Sharif and his 23-year-old wife, Janofer Kadar Beevi Umar Farook. Both of them are natives of Pudukottai district. The couple had traveled from Abu Dhabi to Kochi on an Air India Express flight, landing at the airport on Monday.

During a security inspection at the airport, Customs officers intercepted the couple. Upon conducting a detailed check, officers discovered that the gold paste had been concealed inside the stitched waistbands of the trousers worn by both passengers.

After recovering the material, officials processed the paste to extract the gold. The extraction yielded a total of 1,353.92 grams of 24-carat gold. According to Customs officials, the seized gold has been valued at exactly Rs 1,93,55,640, which is approximately Rs 1.94 crore.

Following the discovery and extraction of the gold, both Rifnas Hamed Mohammed Sharif and Janofer Kadar Beevi Umar Farook were officially arrested by the Customs department. Officials stated on Tuesday that the gold has been seized, and further investigation is currently underway into the smuggling attempt.