CHENNAI: Customs officials seized gold worth Rs 2.61 crores from a passenger who returned from Dubai in the Chennai airport.

The customs officials checked the passengers arriving from Dubai two days ago in Chennai. The officers found Vigneshwaran Raja (35) of Tamil Nadu walking towards the exit through the green channel, and on suspicion, the officers intercepted Raja. During the inquiry, they found he had travelled to Dubai on a tourist visa.

Further, when they checked his luggage, they found Raja was carrying a coffee maker with him. On suspicion, the officers dismantled the machine and found two gold bars hidden inside the machine. The gold bars weighed about 4 kg and were valued at Rs 2.61 crore. The customs found Raja was linked to international smugglers. He was arrested, remanded in judicial custody and sent to prison.