Ahmedabad: Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport recovered and seized nearly 1.8kg of gold in paste form hidden in the toilet of an IndiGo flight from Dubai.

Officials from the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) said pouches weighing 2,196g were found concealed in the aircraft’s lavatory. Once processed, the paste yielded two gold bars weighing 1,867g with 999 (24K) purity, valued at Rs 1.93 crore. The tariff value was assessed at Rs 1.77 crore. The gold was seized under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

Investigators suspect the smuggling attempt may be part of a new modus operandi, where toilets are used as drop-off points. Meanwhile, in another case, Customs officers seized 52,400 cigarette sticks worth around Rs 8 lakh from two passengers who arrived from Cambodia via Malaysia. DeshGujarat