Bengaluru: 4 KG smuggled gold seized; passengers from Dubai, Muscat held

News Network

May 4, 2019

Bengaluru, May 4: The customs sleuths at the Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) have nabbed two international passengers for attempting to innovatively smuggle in over 4kg of gold worth Rs 1.3 crore.

Sources with the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Bengaluru customs said their team intercepted a passenger who disembarked from Emirates flight EK 568 (from Dubai) at Bengaluru airport at 2.46am on Thursday.

Inspection of his luggage revealed a medium-sized red bench vice machine with unusual rivets. Customs official dismantled the device only to find two gold bars and four cut pieces of gold, all covered in black insulation tape. The smugglers had meticulously covered the gold under 7.6kg of thick iron sheets to avoid detection.

The smuggler identified as a native of Chamarajanagar was in possession of 3.6kg gold worth over Rs 1.1 crore in the Indian market. The gold was seized and the suspect arrested and questioned further, customs sources said.

Meanwhile, another AIU team combing the passenger arrival area intercepted a man — identified as a Bengalurean — who landed in an Air India flight from Muscat, Oman via Hyderabad at 4.59am on Thursday. Sensing something amiss about the trolley bag he was carrying as part of his hand luggage, sleuths inspected it thoroughly.

Soon they discovered the handle of the trolley had extra aluminium-like strips affixed, which was found to be made of solid gold coated with mercury. Two more buckles of the bag coated in black were also crafted of solid gold. Customs officials found a total of eight pieces coated with mercury and pasted on to the trolley to avoid detection by airport officials.

A total of 358.4gm of gold worth Rs 11.7 lakh was found from the trolley bag of the passenger who was booked, sources added.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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