Karipur airport gold haul worth Rs 1 crore seized; part concealed in infant's diaper

Malappuram: Gold worth around Rs 1 crore was seized at Karipur Airport on Tuesday evening after a family allegedly attempted to smuggle gold into the country, with a portion of it concealed in the diaper of their eight-month-old baby.

The development came days after a young woman was arrested in Kochi for allegedly smuggling gold concealed in a sanitary napkin. Information obtained during her interrogation reportedly led authorities to the smuggling operation at Karipur.

Based on the information, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) placed a family under surveillance until their flight from Ras Al Khaimah landed at Karipur Airport. The family was taken into custody after their arrival and questioned by DRI officials.

During a search of the baby’s father, gold worth around Rs 1 crore was allegedly recovered. Suspecting that more gold might have been concealed, officials also searched the baby. They subsequently found gold in compound form concealed inside the infant’s diaper.

The accused arrested in Kochi and Karipur remain in custody. DRI officials are continuing their interrogation and are hopeful that it will help uncover further links in the gold smuggling network.