New Delhi: The Customs authorities arrested 17 persons including four women on suspicion of carrying gold at Chennai International Airport on Friday. The Custom Authorities on receiving the tiff on information, they searched the persons who are arriving from Dubai on Fly Dubai flight 8515, they were intercepted at the exit by officials.

The Customs Commissioner in a press release said at the airport. On searching their persons, 48 bundles of gold paste weighing 9.03 kilogram were recovered from their rectums.

Of these, officials could extract 7.72 kilograms worth ₹ 3.93 crores. Further searching led to the recovery of 12 gold cut bits weighing 386 grams and a gold chain weighing 74 grams from various pant pockets and hand bags, the Commissioner of Customs said. The cumulative recoveries (8.18 kilograms) were worth ₹ 4.16 crore, according to a press release from the Customs. Eight persons, including a woman, were arrested from this contingent.

The Custom officials was also arrested Kalandar Ilyas of Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district on Saturday on similar charges under the Customs Act. Having arrived from Sharjah on IndiGo Flight 6E 8245, the 28-year-old Ilyas was intercepted at the exit. A search revealed that he was carrying three bundles of gold paste weighing 310 grams inside his rectum. On extraction, 271 grams worth ₹ 14 lakh was recovered and seized.