Sharjah Passenger Nabbed at Ahmedabad Airport While Smuggling Gold Worth ₹72 Lakh

Ahmedabad: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs Department at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in the city arrested a passenger arriving from Sharjah on Tuesday and seized 495.04 grams of 24-karat gold worth ₹72.3 lakh, which had been concealed inside a trolley bag.

According to a Customs Department release, the passenger was intercepted based on profiling, following which officials examined his check-in baggage. During X-ray screening, they noticed a suspicious image and detected an additional layer concealed inside the trolley bag.

“On detailed examination, an additional layer/patch was found inside the trolley bag. The bag was opened, and its inner plastic layer was removed. Further examination revealed a very thin, black-coloured plastic sheet pasted on the inner side of the layer,” the release stated.

Officials found that gold paste had been spread thinly between two layers of plastic sheets running along the length of the bag. The concealed material was carefully extracted and melted, leading to the recovery of 495.04 grams of 24-karat gold valued at ₹72.3 lakh.

Investigators identified the passenger as a resident of Anand district. According to a Customs official, one of his close relatives is suspected of having been involved in illegally bringing the gold into the country.

The official said the concealment method was unusual and reflected a growing trend of first-time flyers being caught carrying precious metals hidden in their baggage. DeshGujrat