Hyderabad, Dec 20

In the biggest ever catch at Hyderabad airport, customs officials Friday seized 18 kg of gold and arrested three people.

Three passengers from Singapore were arrested on arrival at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here, and six kg gold was seized from each of them, said the official.

The gold is valued at Rs.5.4 crore. The arrested persons, all Singapore passport holders, were hiding the gold biscuits in trousers and shoes. Foreign currency of Rs.2.70 lakh was also seized from the arrested men, he added.

A senior official said the seizure was not based on intelligence. "It was detected because our officers were alert and they had certain suspicions about the behaviour of these men," he said.

Before this seizure, this year around 16 kg gold was seized and 13 people were arrested in different cases. In most of the cases, gold was being smuggled in from Dubai, Singapore and Thailand.