Four Indians arrested at BIA with gold biscuits worth Rs 11.3m

Four Indian passengers have been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake with gold biscuits worth over Rs 11.3 million. 

The male suspects aged 27, 43, 30 and 30 had arrived from Chennai yesterday (3) and were intercepted by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) and handed over to the Customs for further actions.

Customs said that 16 gold biscuits weighing approximately 1.66kgs and valued at Rs. 11,372,270 were found hidden inside their trouser pockets and passed through the Customs green channel.

According to the findings of the preliminary investigations, the gold had been secretly handed over to the passengers inside a toilet at the transit area by another smuggler who had arrived from Dubai. 

The reason for using such a strategy is in order to avoid the attention of Customs since the passengers from Chennai are not suspected for gold smuggling. Generally gold is not being smuggled from Chennai, but smuggled in to India. 

The four suspects have been released on a penalty of Rs 500,000 after having forfeited the gold.