Kochi, Mar 1 (PTI) A customs official was arrested Friday at the Cochin international airport here for allegedly aiding a passenger in his bid to smuggle gold worth nearly Rs one crore, official sources said here.

C X Francis, in the cadre of havildar in the customs, was suspended by Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar following his arrest.

Francis, not on duty, was caught after he attempted to leave the airport allegedly with three gold bars weighing one kg each which he had received from a passenger who arrived from a Gulf country, Kumar said in a release.

The passenger, Adnan Khalid, had also been held.

Francis was put under the scanner of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence after being found around the airport on his day-off, Kumar said.

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