Ahmedabad Customs confiscated 770.33 grams of 24-carat gold valued at over Rs 1.13 crore and apprehended a tour operator following the interception of him and his passengers arriving from Abu Dhabi. The operation, suspected to be an organized gold smuggling attempt, was carried out by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Flight 3L-111. The seized gold, including chains, pendants, and beads, was found concealed in the passengers’ pockets.
Preliminary investigations by the Customs Department suggest that the tour operator had allegedly provided the gold to the passengers for clandestine smuggling into India. The recovered gold, with an estimated market value of Rs 1,13,85,477, was seized under the Customs Act, 1962. Subsequently, the tour operator was arrested under the same act. Authorities are conducting further inquiries to uncover the full details of the smuggling attempt and identify any potential broader network involved.
This seizure is the latest in a series of gold smuggling incidents detected at Ahmedabad airport, particularly on routes originating from the Gulf region. Recent cases include the confiscation of gold jewellery worth Rs 98.78 lakh from a woman passenger and the recovery of 233 grams of 24-carat gold valued at Rs 34.29 lakh from another woman passenger, both arriving from Abu Dhabi. Investigations are ongoing to determine potential links to larger smuggling networks.
Customs officers have also discovered more sophisticated methods of gold concealment in recent months. In one instance, officers found 2.799 kg of foreign-origin gold worth over Rs 4.26 crore hidden inside the speaker box of an IndiGo aircraft arriving from Dubai, indicating a potential organized smuggling operation.
