CHENNAI, Dec 17: A cabin crew member of Air India has been arrested for allegedly helping a passenger smuggle 1.7 kg of 24-carat gold at Chennai Airport. The incident occurred on Sunday when the passenger and crew member were intercepted after arriving on an Air India flight from Dubai.
The Customs Department revealed that the passenger admitted to handing over the gold to the cabin crew member during the flight. A subsequent search led to the discovery of the gold, which was concealed in the crew member’s undergarments. Both the cabin crew member and the passenger have been remanded into judicial custody.
In a separate case, customs officials at the Chennai Airport arrested a Kenyan woman who ingested 90 capsules filled with cocaine, valued at ₹ 14.2 crore. The woman arrived from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on December 7. Acting on specific intelligence, the Air Intelligence Unit intercepted her and, with medical assistance, recovered the capsules from her stomach. The capsules tested positive for cocaine, totaling 1.4 kg. The woman has also been sent to judicial custody.
Air India has yet to comment on the arrest of its cabin crew member. Both incidents have sparked attention on the rising smuggling activities at the airport.
