The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 23.34 kg foreign gold valued at Rs. 14.43 crore smuggled through Chennai International Airport in In two separate operations carried out this week.

DRI officers intercepted a Sri Lankan national arriving from Colombo at Chennai international Airport on May 11 and on examination of his hand baggage of the passenger, gold in paste form was found concealed inside 8 chocolate packets. Melting of the paste resulted in the recovery of gold weighing 10.06 kg valued at Rs 6.15 crore, according to an official statement.

In an earlier operation carried out on May 8, DRI officers developed intelligence that a passenger, who arrived at Chennai international airport from Dubai through Colombo on May 8 was carrying a huge quantity of foreign-origin smuggled gold and was on his way to his residence in Chennai.

DRI officials intercepted the man while he was getting down from an auto rickshaw near his residence and found that he was carrying gold in paste form concealed in knee caps worn by him and in specially made pouches in his pants. After extraction, 13.28 kg of gold totally valued at Rs 8.28 crore was seized.

Both the persons have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.