The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Vitamin B12 powder seized at airport

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 23, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Vitamin B12 powder seized at airport

Staff Reporter

The powder is used for manufacturing tablets for which one has to obtain licence from the Drug Controller

CHENNAI: Customs officials on Thursday seized 6 kg of Vitamin B12 powder at the Anna International Airport and arrested a passenger. C.Rajan, Commissioner of Customs (Airport), said that on receiving information that high-value chemicals/medicinal powders were being smuggled in in the guise of food products, officials of the Air Intelligence Unit of Airport Customs, Chennai, intercepted S.Mahbood Ghos (39) who arrived by an Emirates flight. A Mumbai resident with an Indian passport, he had arrived from Bangkok via Dubai.

When the passenger was questioned about the contents of his baggage, he declared that it contained only personal items that had `no commercial value.'

However, an examination revealed that the bag contained seven refill packs of a popular brand of milk powder and oatmeal.

When the authorities opened the packets, they found a red-coloured powder. A sample was sent for analysis and the results revealed that the powder was Methylecobalamin/Cyanocobalamin, known as Vitamin B12. The six kg of powder was valued at Rs 6.44 lakh.

Mr. Rajan said the import of the powder had been restricted and the passenger tried to smuggle in the goods without declaration. The powder was used for manufacturing tablets for which one had to obtain licence from the Drug Controller. The Customs authorities were investigating the various uses of the seized powder.

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