Smuggling gold gel in rectum Customs send contraband to ITI to test gold percentage

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

Sri Lanka Customs have sent the seized contraband of gel  like solution used by the five local traders to mix gold particles,  which they tried to smuggle in rectum concealed in plastic capsules, to the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) to determine its exact gold  percentage.   

The five suspects who were taken into custody on Tuesday  had been released on a guarantee following the preliminary Customs  inquiry. 

An official attached to the Customs Narcotic Control Unit  told the Daily Mirror yesterday that the gel like solution mixed with gold  particles, which was weighing around 5, 650 grams (5.65Kg) concealed in  15 plastic capsules, had been dispatched to ITI for testing purposes.   

The ITI will run necessary tests to determine the  percentage of gold particles mixed in the gel found inside the plastic  capsules and its exact weight, thus to determine the correct valuation  of the seized gold, the official said.   

The ITI testing procedure, which is common to this kind of  detection, will however take about three to four days to release its  results.   

The Customs yesterday said the seized gold gel was  approximately valued at Rs.107 million. However, once the correct  valuation is determined, the suspects will be summoned again for the  inquiry, he said.   

Five local traders were nabbed by the Customs Narcotic  Control Unit on Tuesday at the airport departure lounge, whilst  attempting to leave for India with gold mixed with gel concealed in  their person.