Karipur: Smuggled items worth Rs 1.76 crores were seized by the Airport Customs at the Karipur International Airport. The seized materials include gold worth Rs 1.67 crores and cigarettes costing around Rs 3.6 lakhs.

At first, a woman hailing from Kannur landed at the airport in a flight from Dubai, concealing 1,169 grams of gold within her body. She was apprehended. The gold had an estimated value of Rs 80.78 lakhs. In another incident at the airport, 789 grams of gold worth Rs 54.56 lakhs was seized from a Malappuram native arriving from Ras Al-Khaimah.       

In addition to this, 225 grams of gold in the form of paste worth Rs 16 lakhs was seized from a man from Thamarassery who reached the airport in a Doha flight.

In another incident, a Kasaragod native tried to smuggle 232 grams of gold worth Rs 16 lakhs through the airport by hiding it in equipment meant for cutting vegetables. But his efforts went in vain as he landed in the customs net.  

Another man from Kasaragod who hid 3,000 cigarette packets worth Rs 36 lakhs in his baggage was also taken into custody.