Chennai: A group of five Sri Lankan nationals have been refusing to return to their country and had been demanding the airport customs officials return 7 kg of gold seized from an aircraft and toilet of the international terminal of Chennai airport. The Sri Lankans have also moved against the seizure through a lawyer and also claimed that they transported the gold only after declaring it during boarding at Dubai.
It all started on June 2, when all five Sri Lankans boarded a flight to Colombo via Dubai since they did not get any tickets on their direct flights to Colombo. Upon arrival in Chennai, the officials intercepted the passengers.
Later, the Customs on Saturday said that they seized gold bars and ingot weighing 9.02 kg in total worth Rs 4.21 crore. The customs said that they found the gold which was concealed in a lavatory of a flight and the restrooms of the arrival point in the international flight terminal.
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Talking to Times of India, one of the passengers Shahul Hamadn Ihsahul Haq said, he and his friends including Ameerul Azhar Mohammed Sahar, Najath Habibeebut Thamby, Najmudeen Mohamed Sukiy and Anees Ajmal work for a jeweler in Sri Lanka.
He said, all the five of them ‘legally’ carried the gold from Dubai to Colombo via Chennai. He also said that they had been doing the same work for the past two years.
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However, Shahul Hamadn Ihsahul Haq said that on June 2 upon reaching Chennai their phones were snatched away and gold was seized with a promise of being returned before the scheduled connecting flight timing on June 3. Yet the gold was not returned.
Moreover, all of us would be denied visas to fly back due to the legal proceedings if we try to leave now, he said.
Therefore, all the five Sri Lankans have been continuing to stay put in the airport for the past five days.