Customs officials at the airport in Kochi seized gold worth Rs 54 lakh in three separate incidents in the past two days. Officials of Air Intelligence Unit, Air Customs, recovered four gold bars totally weighing 350 grams and valued at around Rs 10.58 lakh from a passenger who arrived last night from Dubai, a Customs release said here today.

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The gold was found concealed inside specially stitched pouch on the inside of the waistband of the pants worn by the passenger, they added. The AIU also made two seizures today. The first was from a resident of Palakkad district who came by an Air India flight from Jeddah to Kochi. On suspicion, he was intercepted at the exit gate and on search of his baggage, eight cut pieces of gold totally weighing 436.4 grams and valued at around Rs 13.22 lakh was
found concealed inside a hand mixer brought by the passenger in his baggage, the release said.

The second seizure of one gold bar weighing one kg and valued at Rs 30.15 lakh was made from the toilet of a flight belonging to a private airline, which arrived from Dubai. Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said the total seizure of gold for this month so far is 7.616 kg valued at Rs 2.24 crore from 20 cases.