More mystery in Trichy customs office. CBI finds gold bars to be fake

Three gunny bags containing 30kg of gold bars lost from the custom vaults of Trichy is now getting more mysterious. As per a news report by The Economic Times, a CBI team investigating the case found that at least 30kg of gold bars kept in three gunny bags were fake. Bars of some other metal are believed to have been stuffed into the bags along with gold bars.

The news report further reads, while a preliminary search of three gunny bags revealed that 30 kg of gold bars had been stolen, officials suspect it could be much more. The customs vaults in Trichy receive on an average about 50kg gold every week. "Finding the quantum of gold that has been replaced with fake gold is a tedious job for which the CBI team has left for Chennai," the source said. There has been a spate of gold seizures in the Trichy region of the customs that extends up to Tuticorin and Karaikal. Trichy airport reports incidents of gold smuggling almost on a daily basis.

Investigating officers have questioned customs staff who had access to the vaults. Among them were superintendent of customs Mohammed Farooq and inspector Senthil Kumar, who were suspended for "negligence" and for failing to prevent the theft following an internal enquiry on April 26.