Mumbai, May 9 (PTI) The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Customs officials nabbed an international smuggler who was carrying 3.35 kg gold worth more than Rs 1.80 crore at Nagpur airport in Maharashtra.

The smuggler was apprehended on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday after he landed from Jeddah. He was to hand over the gold to another person, an official said on Tuesday.

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"Due to the heightened security and recent seizures of drugs and other prohibited items at Mumbai and other major international airports in the region, a plan was made to smuggle a consignment through any other international airport, and the accused person chose the Nagpur airport to land," the official said.

He was intercepted by officials of the Customs Department at the request of NCB.

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During the search, seven small white packets were found to be carefully stitched along the inner side of his jeans pant, the official said, adding that a semi-liquid paste of golden colour was recovered from each packet of the smuggler. It weighed 3.35 kg.

Customs officials in Nagpur are investigating the case.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)