Customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport have arrested a Bangladeshi national after recovering over 1.14 kg of smuggled gold worth nearly Rs 1.47 crore, which had been concealed inside a washroom flush button cavity in the airport’s departure area.
According to Customs officials, the passenger had arrived from Dubai on June 27 after departing on June 26. Acting on specific intelligence, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) identified the passenger in the International Transfers Area based on his suspicious transit travel pattern and kept him under discreet surveillance.
The passenger was intercepted outside a washroom in the departure area. During questioning, he admitted to hiding three oval-shaped, yellow-coloured pouches wrapped inside a dark blue sock in the flush button cavity of the washroom. Based on his disclosure, Customs officials recovered the concealed pouches from the indicated location.
Examination of the seized material revealed gold paste, from which 1,141.5 grams of gold was extracted. The recovered gold has been valued at Rs 1,46,64,211 (approximately Rs 1.47 crore) for customs purposes.
The gold has been seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the passenger has been arrested. Customs officials said further investigation into the smuggling racket was underway.
