DRI seizes gold worth Rs 5.44 Crore

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 12.6 kg gold worth Rs 5.44 crore from

18 passengers who arrived here from various countries, officials said on Thursday.

The DRI Chennai zonal unit picked up 18 passengers and two customs officials from the airport for questioning for

allegedly having abetted the smuggling of the contraband. These passengers had arrived from Malaysia, Colombo and

Dubai on Wednesday, a press release said. The officers also searched a residential premise of a

former Customs department tax assistant who was allegedly involved in coordinating the smuggling of gold, it said.

The DRI said as it was trying to take the passengers from the airport for questioning around 50 unidentified people

started gathering and hurled abuses at the officials inside the airport.

"When the officers tried to escort the passengers into a bus, the mob started attacking the officers and during the

melee two DRI officers were manhandled," the release said. A complaint was filed at Airport police.