A woman was detained at the Goa airport on Monday for allegedly carrying gold paste worth over Rs. 18 lakh, a senior customs official said.
The woman, a foreign national whose identity and nationality were not disclosed, had kept the yellow metal hidden in a pocket of her pants, Customs Commissioner R Manohar said.
Based on intelligence inputs, officials arrested the woman after she arrived at the Dabolim International Airport in Panaji from Dubai, aboard an Air India flight.
During search, the officials seized over 600 grams of semi-solid gold, valued at Rs. 18.08 lakh, the official said.
"The gold paste was kept in a transparent polythene packet, concealed in a pocket specially created for the purpose, he said.
Since April last year, the Goa Customs officials have seized gold worth Rs. 236.5 lakh and foreign currencies with a face value to Rs. 67.5 lakh from international passengers at the Dabolim airport, officials say.