Ahmedabad: Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport foiled two gold smuggling attempts on Saturday, seizing smuggled gold worth ₹73.09 lakh from two passengers.

In the first case, a passenger arriving on Air Arabia flight 3L-111 from Abu Dhabi was intercepted around 5:30 am. During an X-ray scan of his luggage, customs officials found three boxes of skin cream that appeared suspicious. Upon further inspection, they discovered 37 gold pieces weighing approximately 700 grams hidden inside the cream.

During questioning, the passenger admitted that the gold had been transported from Kuwait to Abu Dhabi and then to Ahmedabad on the instructions of a friend, who had asked him to deliver it to a contact in Dungarpur, Rajasthan. Since the gold’s value exceeded ₹50 lakh, customs officials arrested the passenger on charges of gold smuggling, seized the gold, and launched a detailed investigation.

In the second case, 135.80 grams of smuggled gold was recovered from a passenger on Emirates Airways flight EK-540 from Dubai to Ahmedabad. The market value of the gold is estimated at ₹11.87 lakh. Acting on a tip-off, customs officials detained the passenger at the airport. During the investigation, it was revealed that he had filled a capsule with gold and concealed it in his rectum. The passenger is reportedly a resident of Mumbai. DeshGujarat