Panaji: Two persons from Kerala were apprehended by the Goa Crime Branch after it seized around 1.3 kg of liquid gold worth approximately Rs 1.5 crore from their possession in North Goa, police said on Saturday.
The accused, identified as Hassan Niyaz (35) and Muhammed Khunhi (57), both natives of Kasaragod district in Kerala, were intercepted at Sukhe Kulan in Dhargal during a late-night operation conducted by the Crime Branch.
According to police, the operation was launched on the basis of specific intelligence inputs and was carried out under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (Crime) Rahul Gupta.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Niyaz had allegedly arrived in Goa from Dubai on a Qatar Airways flight carrying the liquid gold consignment. Khunhi had travelled from Kasaragod to Margao by train before proceeding to Manohar International Airport at Mopa to receive the consignment, police said.
The two later travelled together and were intercepted by the Crime Branch team at Dhargal.
During a search, the police recovered approximately 1.3 kg of liquid gold concealed inside specially stitched cavities in the banyans and undergarments worn by the accused, an official said.
The seized gold is estimated to be worth around Rs 1.5 crore in the market, police said.
Following the seizure, both accused were taken into custody and have been handed over to the Customs authorities at Mormugao for further investigation and legal action under the provisions of the Customs Act and other applicable laws, officials said.
