Bhubaneswar: The customs' air intelligence unit seized 545 grams in gold articles from a non-resident Indian woman at Biju Patnaik International Airport here on Sunday.

This is the third such incident of gold haul in the airport this month.

Custom officers said the gold articles, which included 27 rings, four bangles and a chain, were recovered from two out of the 50 women's handbags that the passenger, who arrived from Bangkok, was carrying. "The woman was travelling with a Thai passport. The gold items were given silver coating to avoid recognition."

"The value of the seized gold is around Rs 17.88 lakhs. We are further interrogating the passenger," said a customs officer.

On April 9, gold weighing 700 grams worth Rs 22 lakh was seized while being smuggled inside a mixer grinder. More than five kilograms of gold have been seized from passengers at the airport since it started international operations.

Though the airport got international tag in October 2010, the first direct international flight was launched only last April with an Air Asia flight to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Similarly, Air India started international flight services to Bangkok from the airport in December.

A customs officer suspected the involvement of a well-organised racket behind such incidents.

"All of a sudden, there has been a spurt in gold smuggling cases. Several methods are being adopted to conceal the gold. Sometimes, the gold is also smuggled through shoes and other luggage. Most passengers are used as carriers with a promise of hefty money for smuggling," said a customs sleuth.

Customs sleuths also suspect that the smuggled gold is disposed to traders in the state and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. "We urge the passengers not to get trapped by smugglers as we have our own intelligence to nab such passengers," added the officer.