A Singaporean couple was arrested at Sri Lanka's Bandaranaike International Airport last Friday night (June 28) for attempting to smuggle in close to 5kg of gold jewellery.
The jewellery, worth about 26 million rupees (S$199,032), were found in the pockets of the clothing worn by the man and woman, local media reported.
The couple - aged 45 and 55, and who were on Singapore Airlines flight SQ468 - were arrested after customs officers acted on a tip-off.
According to Sri Lankan news portal Adaderana.lk, the couple own a currency exchange business in Singapore.
A spokesman for Sri Lanka customs told local news outlet Hiru News that the couple had travelled to Sri Lanka on at least six previous occasions this year.
Local authorities are investigating.
In January last year, a Singapore Airlines cabin crew member was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi for allegedly smuggling gold.
The senior steward - believed to be Singaporean - was found with just over 1kg of gold.
Initial investigations revealed that the crew member had intended to hand over the gold, worth about $65,000, to an agent at a prominent hotel in Delhi.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.