Foreign currency notes worth Rs 33 lakh seized

Foreign currency notes, including USD, worth Rs 33 lakh and shark fins were Monday seized from a Singapore-bound air passenger at the airport here, Customs officials said.

Officials of Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) were maintaining vigil following a tip that currency notes and endangered wildlife species could be smuggled to Singapore and Malaysia, a Customs department release here said.

The 54-year-old passenger, identified as Mohamed Saleem, was questioned by AIU officials and searched.

The carton box he was carrying contained two gunny bags with 14 kg shark fins inside.

The foreign currency notes were concealed inside two paper bags, it said.

The currencies seized included, Euro, Pound Sterling and Qatar Rial.

Export of shark fins is prohibited under the Foreign Trade Policy, it said, adding the passenger has been arrested.