Man Caught Smuggling Gold Worth ₹65.69 Lakhs at Ahmedabad Airport

Ahmedabad, August 9: A shocking incident occurred at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. Customs officials detained a man on Sunday who had concealed ‘gold paste’ within his body.

During the search, officials seized a 24-carat gold bar weighing 422.83 grams, valued at ₹65.69 lakhs.

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs apprehended the 24-year-old man from Godhra in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat after profiling indicated the need for further investigation.

He arrived in Ahmedabad on August 9 via Qatar Airways flight QR-534 from Jeddah, transiting through Doha. During the examination, officials discovered 467.09 grams of gold paste hidden in his body.

The recovered paste was processed into a gold bar weighing 422.83 grams with 24-carat purity. Customs officials estimated its market value at ₹65,69,087.

The gold bar was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act of 1962. The passenger has been arrested under the relevant provisions of the act, and further investigations are ongoing.

This seizure comes amid several cases of gold smuggling at Ahmedabad Airport, where unusual concealment methods have been employed.

Reports indicate that on July 29, customs officials stopped a woman arriving from Dubai and recovered 244.16 grams of 24-carat gold hidden as paste in her body, valued at ₹35.84 lakhs.

In another case in March, a woman arriving from Kuala Lumpur was arrested after customs officials found two capsules filled with a chemical paste mixed with gold hidden in her body. Officials later extracted 553.07 grams of 24-carat gold with 999 purity, valued at ₹83.29 lakhs. The passenger was arrested under the Customs Act of 1962, and further investigations were initiated.

The recent case highlights another instance of customs officials successfully detecting gold smuggled into the country through covert methods.

Authorities have not disclosed any information regarding the targeted recipient or whether the arrested passenger is linked to a larger smuggling network.

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