Coimbatore : Officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have seized 1.6 KGs of 24 carat putity of gold valued at Rs.55 lakh and arrested five persons, including two airline staff in the City International Airport.

On the basis of specific intelligence received that two airline staff at the airport were facilitating gold smuggling by way of receiving the contraband from the passengers arriving by Sri Lankan Airlines at the aerobridge and handing over it to persons waiting outside the airport, the officials maintained vigil and intercepted both the passengers and the airline staff and recovered 16 crude gold bars last night, official release said Saturday.

The crude gold bars weighed 1.6 kilograms of 24 carat purity valued at Rs.55 lakhs approximately at the rate of rs.3,335/- per gram

Further, with the help of the information given by the airline staff, a plan was quickly drawn to capture all the persons involved in this organized smuggling and a team of officers were swiftly dispatched and the actual receiver / organiser and the investor who were waitng in a car about three kms away from the airport were also arrested while trying to escape.

All the persons have admitted to their involvement in the smuggling racket for the lucrative money offered by one Mizra, the main accused and a financier, who is at large.

All the five–two airline staff Manoj and Sathesh, passenger Syed Abuthahir, organizer T Raja of Trichy and a car driver were arrested and released on bail. Further investigation is on.