Ahmedabad: Waste generated during the cleaning of international flights arriving at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in the city can no longer be taken out directly. Authorities now require that such waste pass through a scanning machine in the customs area before removal from the aircraft.

The move comes as part of efforts to prevent gold, drugs, or other contraband from being smuggled under the guise of aircraft waste. Customs officials have stepped up vigilance following the seizure of gold worth Rs 4.27 crore from a speaker installed in the washroom of an IndiGo aircraft flying from Dubai to Ahmedabad on June 14.

Following the incident, the Customs Department has written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), airlines, ground-handling agencies, and airport security organizations, directing them to strengthen security measures and tighten monitoring of aircraft servicing operations.

As per the probe, it is suspected the gold may have been concealed inside the speaker with prior planning during catering, technical maintenance, or other servicing activities carried out during the aircraft’s night halt in Dubai. According to officials, the speaker’s bolts were difficult to open, indicating that the concealment would have required technical knowledge.

As per the reports, the smuggling plan might have involved a passenger boarding the flight as a domestic traveller from Ahmedabad and then continuing onwards to Chandigarh or another destination on the same aircraft, where the gold would have been retrieved. Although customs officials questioned two suspicious passengers, no direct link to the smuggling attempt has been established so far.

According to customs records, several passengers carrying foreign currency worth Rs 15–20 crore were intercepted at Ahmedabad airport while attempting to take it abroad over the past year. Officials are now examining whether any financial transactions were linked to the planned delivery of the seized gold. DeshGujarat.