Kochi | A young couple from Tamil Nadu was arrested by Customs officials at Cochin International Airport after they were allegedly found carrying gold paste containing more than 1.35 kg of gold, worth nearly Rs 2 crore, officials said on Tuesday.

The passengers, identified as Rifnas Hamed Mohammed Sharif (26) and his wife Janofer Kadar Beevi Umar Farook (23), both natives of Pudukottai district in Tamil Nadu, had arrived from Abu Dhabi on Air India Express flight on Monday.

During an inspection, Customs officers intercepted the couple and recovered gold paste containing 1,353.92 grams of 24-carat gold, which was worth about Rs 1.94 crore after extraction.

The gold paste had been concealed inside the stitched waistbands of the trousers worn by the two passengers, Customs officials said.

The seized gold has been valued at Rs 1,93,55,640.

Both passengers were arrested, and further investigation is underway, the officials added.