Customs officials at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) seized 11 gold bars from passengers arriving from Dubai according to a Customs statement. The seizure took place on Friday.
The passengers had arrived in Delhi from Dubai on Emirates flight EK-514. The operation involved two passengers - a man and a woman. Customs officials said the woman was being discreetly tracked on the basis of specific intelligence, while the male passenger was followed based on profiling.
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During the surveillance, Customs officials noted the woman speaking to the male passenger outside a washroom near baggage belts 12 and 13. The woman was subsequently apprehended while leaving through the Customs Green Channel. Her baggage was subjected to an X-ray examination and checked using a Door Frame Metal Detector (DFMD), but the checks did not initially reveal anything suspicious according to the officials' statement.
The male passenger's luggage also underwent an X-ray examination, which reportedly did not reveal the concealed gold. However, when the passenger was checked using a DFMD, the detector gave a loud beep, officials said.
A subsequent search led to the recovery of 11 gold bars. The seized consignment comprised of 10 gold bars weighing 10 tolas each and one gold bar weighing 1kg. The total weight of the recovered gold was 2,168 grams or 2.168 kg. Following the recovery, the seized goods were handed over to Shift-B for further necessary action.
The available report so far does not identify the two passengers by name, nor does it provide their nationalities, ages, occupations or any other details. It also does not state the purity or assessed value of the seized gold.
The latest seizure comes amid continued detection of gold smuggling attempts at the Delhi airport, where Customs and security agencies have reported cases involving different concealment methods in recent weeks.
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