The Customs department has seized 20.95 kg of gold valued Rs 13.57 crore and Rs 23 lakh worth of electronics goods, tobacco items and cigarettes, all smuggled by passengers at the Mumbai international airport in the last one week, officials said on Monday.

During investigation, nine passengers who arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) were arrested by the Mumbai Customs for brining these items illegally into the country, an official said.

The action was taken by officials of the Airport Commissionerate of the Mumbai Customs between April 22 to 28 in as many as 27 cases, he said.

Customs officials laid traps at the airport and detained passengers based on suspicion, he said.

During checking of passengers and their luggage, they recovered gold jewellery concealed in their body and gold dust in oval shaped capsules concealed in their private parts, the official said.

The officials also found gold dust concealed between two layers of trousers worn by passengers and also in wax form from the rummaging of flight, he said.

The Customs department recovered 20.95 kg of gold worth Rs 13.57 crore and also electronics items, tobacco and cigarettes worth Rs 23 lakh from passengers, with their cumulative value coming to Rs 13.80 crore, he said.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.