2.8 kg gold seized from 12 passengers of Thar Express

In what is being claimed as the biggest haul since beginning of the Thar Express, the customs officials on Sunday seized 2.8 kg gold worth `80 lakh from 12 passengers of the train.

This is the fourth time in a month the customs officials have seized illegal gold at Munabao.

The passengers, including six women, coming from Pakistan were trying to bring the gold in India without paying the customs duty, claimed officials. They were hiding the gold in their undergarments.

A part of the gold consignment was in the form of painted bangles to make them look like plastic material, said Basant Gadwal, assistant commissioner customs, Barmer. They were arrested following a tip-off, Gadwal added.

Out of the 12 passengers, five are Pakistani nationals, while seven are Indians. They are being questioned.

According to Gadhwal, the seized gold is in the shape of 18 gold biscuits and 16 bangles. He claimed that it was the biggest seizure by the customs department since the beginning of the Thar Express.

The customs official said that the gold was recovered from Aaysha, Jahangir, Aslam, Subabibi, Ali Hasan, all resident of Karachi in Pakistan, and Kiran, Zora Khatoon, Kherun Nisha, Kherun Nisha, Hasan Sulemaan and Sulemaan Abdul Sattar, all residents of Godhra in Gujarat.