$34,500 seized from passenger at Chennai airport

CHENNAI: Unaccounted foreign currency worth Rs 15.82 lakh was seized by customs officials from an Andhra Pradesh-based businessman bound for Hong Kong at the airport here today.

The seizure of USD 34,500 was made when officials of the Air Intelligence unit intercepted the passenger, hailing from West Godavari district, who had booked on a Cathay Pacific flight, an official release said.

The passenger did not have any valid documents for carrying the foreign exchange, it said. The release said the passenger, who runs a furniture trading company, admitted to carrying the money for the purpose of payment to his supplier in Hong Kong to reduce the incidence of customs duty by under invoicing the company's future import consignments of furniture.

Earlier this month, Customs officials had seized USD, Euros and British Pounds equivalent to Rs 40 lakh from a Polish National bound for Singapore, the release added.