Ahmedabad: Amid heightened surveillance following repeated cases of gold and luxury goods smuggling, Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in the city intercepted an Indian passenger arriving from Dubai and seized two high-end Rolex watches valued at around ₹18 lakh.

According to officials, the passenger was stopped on Monday based on passenger profiling after he arrived on SpiceJet flight SG016 from Dubai and presented himself for customs clearance. During a detailed search, Customs officers found two Rolex watches concealed in the pocket of his jeans. The original watch cases, along with international guarantee cards and related documents, were recovered from his trolley bag.

The watches were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and further investigation is underway to determine the intent behind the attempted smuggling and whether the passenger is linked to a larger racket.

Customs authorities have intensified checks at Ahmedabad airport in recent weeks following multiple interceptions. Earlier, officials had seized luxury watches worth over ₹13 crore from a couple arriving from Abu Dhabi. That case is also under detailed investigation to ascertain the source and intended recipients of the high-value watches.

Officials said increased vigilance and profiling have been put in place to curb smuggling activities through international flights arriving at the city’s airport.