Mangaluru: Customs officials at the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) have seized a total 1,703 gm of 24-carat gold, valued at Rs 86.8 lakh, from five male passengers between September 25 and 30, a Customs release here said on Saturday.

The gold was seized from passengers who were natives of Bhatkal, Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram, who arrived here from Dubai and Muscat.

The gold was smuggled using various modus operandi like concealment in paste and powder form in the smuggler’s rectum and colour-coated coil inside mixer grinder, the release said.

Further investigations are in progress.