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MANGALURU: Customs officers at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) have seized contraband valued over Rs 1.16 crore in 24 instances of smuggling during February. The state-of-the-art scanning machines installed by Customs recently are enabling officers to zero in on to the right baggage besides aiding in maintaining and further improving facilitation of genuine passengers, M Subramaniyam, commissioner of customs, Mangaluru said.

 Officers seized contraband gold above 3.18-kg which was ingeniously concealed and attempted to be smuggled. In three cases, gold ingeniously concealed in the form of mercury coated wires inside beading portion and metallic strips of trolley bags were detected. In another two instances gold concealed in the form of silver coloured paint coated objects of various shapes and sizes namely beads in chain and bracelets, buttons of burkha and baby pant were detected.

 In another two instances crude gold objects in the form of rings and chain were found concealed in face cream and seized besides three gold bars. The value of gold seized in these seven cases is estimated to be over Rs 92.94 lakh. One passenger was also arrested. Further investigations are under progress, he said.

 On gathering inputs that there is surge by passengers by passengers departing to middle east smuggling foreign currency, officers kept special watch on movements of certain profiled passengers. This resulted in three seizures of foreign currency attempted to be smuggled out of India equivalent to Rs 18.79 lakh approximately. The cases are under investigation.

 Customs officials also seized smoking tobacco weighing 4.625-kg valued over Rs 2.03 lakh found concealed along with personal effects. Besides, 13 cases of smuggling of assorted foreign brand cigarettes were also detected during February. These involved 120 cartons without statutory pictorial warning valued over Rs 2.44 lakh and confiscated by the officials.