$40,000 concealed in ‘gutka’ pouches seized at Kolkata airport. Watch – Hindustan Times

Customs officials at the Kolkata airport on Sunday seized cash worth $40,000- valued over ₹ 32 lakh – concealed inside hundreds of sealed ‘pan masala’ pouches. A video of a customs official tearing the sachets showed some neatly folded $10 bills sealed with transparent plastic, along with what seemed to pan masala powder. There was also a large trolley bag that was stuffed to the gills with the sachets.

Acting on information from the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers, the Kolkata Customs Department intercepted the passenger who was scheduled to depart to Bangkok. “AIU officials of Kolkata Customs intercepted a passenger scheduled to depart to Bangkok yesterday. A search of his checked-in baggage resulted in the recovery of US $40O00 (worth over ₹32 lakh) concealed inside Gutkha pouches”, the Kolkata Customs Department tweeted.

Also Read | Customs officers need to be alert about drugs, gold smuggling: FM

In a similar incident, almost 2,000 undeclared cigarette cartons were seized by Customs Officers in a courier cell in Mumbai on Thursday. These cartons contained almost 4 lakh cigarette sticks worth ₹30 lakh. The officers recovered these cartons mixed with the shipments that had to be exported to London.

Read | Gold hidden in capsules, condom, rectum: Bizarre airport seizures

In another case earlier, Mumbai Airport customs officials had seized 4.47kg heroin estimated to be worth ₹31.29 crores and 1.596 kg cocaine worth ₹15.96 crores in two separate cases at the Mumbai international airport during its drive against drug smuggling on Friday.