Ahmedabad Customs uncovered 129.18 grams of 24-carat gold valued at Rs 19.48 lakh hidden in the collars of shirts worn by two passengers arriving from Dubai. The discovery was made during a routine check at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The gold paste was cleverly concealed and later transformed into 24-carat TT bars.
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) acted on specific intelligence provided by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to intercept the passengers. The seized gold, now in the form of bars, was estimated to be worth Rs 19,48,034. The Customs officials have initiated further investigations under the Customs Act, 1962. The passengers, residents of Mumbai and Ulhasnagar in Maharashtra, are currently under scrutiny.
This incident is part of a series of recent gold smuggling cases at Ahmedabad airport, with Dubai being a common point of origin. In previous instances, gold paste was found hidden in undergarments and burqas of passengers arriving from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The enforcement agencies are actively combating sophisticated methods employed by smugglers to transport gold via international flights into Ahmedabad.
