Passenger, immigration officer arrested with Rs.27mn worth of gold

7 January 2016 04:57 am

An immigration officer and an in-coming passenger were arrested today morning by the Airport Customs Officers on charges of attempting to smuggle into the country Rs.27 million worth of gold weighing 5.1 kilos, Customs media spokesman Leslie Gamini said.

He said the 31-year-old passenger was in possession of 392 gold chains while the 55-year-old immigration officer who was on duty at the airport arrival lounge had 18 gold slabs in his possession.

“The passenger is a resident of Kattankudi and had arrived in a flight from Kuala Lumpur,” Mr. Gamini said.

“The passenger had placed his four packets of gold chains on the immigration officer’s table. The Custom officers had arrested the immigration officer while he was picking up the packets and with him the passenger,” he said.

During investigations the Customs officers discovered the gold slabs concealed in the immigration officer’s brief case.

“The gold chains weighing 3,300 grams were valued at Rs.18,153,025 and the 18 gold slabs weighing 1,800 grams were valued at Rs.9,000,000,” Mr. Gamini said.

He said the suspects and the contraband would be handed over to the Customs Central Investigation Division for further investigations.
 
Investigations were carried out by Customs Deputy Superintendents Nishantha Jayasinghe, Udaya Gamini and Hasantha Guruge and Assistant Superintendents Nuwan Abeynayake and A.K.R. Samanjith. (Chaturanga Pradeep)