AIU sleuths seize 1.25 kg of gold from Pudukai woman in Tiruchy

Preliminary investigation found that the woman was promised Rs 20,000 to hand over the gold bars to an unknown person waiting outside the airport.

Sources said the Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur had arrived at the Tiruchy airport in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The AIU officials had detained a female passenger, identified as Jency Joseph, for questioning under suspicion during their routine inspection

Gold bars weighing 1.25 kg worth an estimated Rs 42 lakh were recovered from her baggage. The accused belonged to Keeranur in Pudukkottai district.

During the interrogation, Jency Joseph confessed that she was approached by an individual in Malaysia, who promised her Rs 20,000 for smuggling the gold to India. She was given a code word to be used when she meets the recipient in Tiruchy.

While the woman was handed over to the police, officials are searching for the person who was supposed to receive the package.