An Air India cabin crew member was arrested at the Kochi Airport on Wednesday for smuggling gold, officials said.

Shafi, a native of Wayanad, was arrested by Customs officials at Kochi with 1,487 grams of contraband gold.

The Customs Preventive Commissionerate had received a tip-off that Shafi, a cabin crew member on the Air India flight operating on the Bahrain-Kozhikode-Kochi route, was bringing in a consignment of gold.

The accused had wrapped the gold around forearms and covered it with the sleeve of the shirt and was trying to pass through the green channel.

He is being interrogated further to detect the wider network involved in the smuggling racket, officials said.

Smuggling of gold is on the rise as unscrupulous elements are out to make a fast buck  since the price of gold is much higher in India than abroad. Gold is also easy to buy in the Gulf countries where there are no questions asked.