Female flight attendant held for smuggling gold

KOZHIKODE: Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested two women, including a woman flight attendant, for trying to smuggle 6kg gold valued at Rs 1.84 crore at Karipur airport on Friday.



The DRI officials, acting on a tip-off, nabbed V S Hiromasa (22), a woman flight attendant with Air India Express, who landed at the airport after a private visit to Dubai on Air India Express (IX- 344) flight at 4.55am. Her co- passenger and friend Rahila Cheerayi (31) of Thalasseri has also been taken into custody.



DRI officials said both of them had strapped three gold bars each wrapped in a cloth around their waist and wore jeans on top of it. \"We had carried out a detailed search on receiving specific information that two women passengers were trying to smuggle in gold. When intercepted, the duo said they were not carrying any gold but a body search by our women officers revealed the gold bars,\" a DRI official said.



Air India Express spokesman said the airline had suspended Hiromasa pending a probe. \"We have suspended the crew pending a probe. We are waiting for a report from the DRI and will be conducting an internal probe as well,\" the official said.



DRI officials said the women were carriers who were working for an organized gold smuggling racket. They said the duo had admitted to smuggling gold earlier as well.
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