Authorities at an airport in southern India’s Tamil Nadu have seized 1.666 kilograms of gold, valued at Rs 1.19 crores ( approximately $145,000) , from a passenger arriving from Singapore, according to a Customs Department official.

The incident took place in Trichy airport on June 24.

Visuals showed how the gold was discovered then taken out from the saw cutter machine and the gold found was in cylindrical shape.

According to reports, the gold was cleverly concealed within an electric circular saw and detected by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers on June 24. “Based on specific intelligence, officers of AIU and DRI Trichy detected 1.666 kg of 24K gold valued at Rs 1.19 crore( approximately $145,000), concealed in an electric circular saw brought by a male passenger as checked-in luggage,” stated the official. Further investigations are ongoing.

This seizure follows another recent incident earlier this month where AIU officers at Trichy Airport intercepted 1024 grams of 24K gold, valued at Rs 73.32 lakh(approximately $89,000) , hidden in paste form and smuggled in a passenger’s rectum. The passenger was arrested, and investigations are continuing.

These incidents highlight ongoing efforts by Indian authorities to curb gold smuggling through airports, ensuring compliance with customs regulations and preventing illegal activities.