Gold bar worth Rs 5.6 lakh recovered from passenger's rectum
Chandigarh: Customs officials at the Chandigarh International Airport on Thursday recovered a gold bar worth over Rs 5.6 lakh from the rectum of a passenger landing here from Dubai.
The passenger, who belongs to Ulhasnagar in Maharashtra, was smuggling the bullion concealed in his rectum.
The officials got suspicious of the passenger as he was walking awkwardly while trying to go through the green channel of the Customs here.
He had arrived by the Dubai-Chandigarh Indigo flight.
The gold bar was over 180 grams and worth nearly Rs 5.6 lakh, officials said.
The passenger was taken into custody and being questioned about the smuggling racket.
Customs officials had on Tuesday recovered gold worth Rs 25 lakh from two women passengers who had also hidden it in their rectum. They had also arrived from Dubai.
Officials have made several seizures of gold being smuggled into the country through the Dubai-Chandigarh sector flights in the past less than two years.
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345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran return home via Armenia
New Delhi (PTI): A group of 345 Indian fishermen, who were stranded in Iran amid escalating regional tensions, returned to India via Armenia on Saturday, officials said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in return of the Indian nationals.
The Indian nationals arrived in Chennai this evening, the officials cited above said.
The circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran were not immediately known.
"Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar said on social media.
Over 1,500 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict over a month ago.
"A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening," a government statement said.
It said the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the West Asian region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community being accorded the highest priority.
It also made a mention of five Indians being injured in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
According to Abu Dhabi authorities, the Indian nationals were among the 12 people injured by debris from an intercepted missile.
"In an attack in Abu Dhabi, five Indian nationals were injured; four have been discharged, one remains under treatment," the Indian government's statement said.
It said the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi is extending "full" assistance and coordinating with local authorities, adding that their flight is expected to reach India this evening.
