An Air India Express cabin crew has been arrested at the Kochi Airport on Wednesday for smuggling gold.
Shafi, a native of Wayanad, was arrested by Customs Preventive Commissionerate at Kochi with 1487 grams of gold.
The Customs Preventive Commissionerate had received confidential information that Shafi, a cabin crew member of a flight from a Gulf nation, was bringing gold.
The aim was to wrap the gold around the hands and cover the sleeve of the shirt and pass through the green channel. He is being interrogated further, the officials said.
“A member of the crew on an Air India Express flight IX 474 has been taken into custody following an incident involving smuggling. The said individual has been placed on suspension with immediate effect,” the airline’s statement read.
“Air India Express has zero tolerance for such behaviour and will be taking stern action against the individual including termination of service following receipt of the report from the investigative authorities,” it added.