CHENNAI: Customs officials at the Chennai airport have seized 2.3 kilograms of smuggled gold, valued at Rs 1.75 crore.

The operation was conducted based on a tip-off about large-scale gold smuggling into the airport from foreign countries, said a Daily Thanthi report.

In response, customs officers carried out an intensive search of passengers arriving at the airport. That was when the gold, estimated to cost Rs 1.75 crore, was found in the belongings of three individuals who came from Colombo.

The three have been detained and are being interrogated to uncover further details about the smuggling network.