Alert officials of the Custom department posted at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) have seized smuggled gold worth over Rs 1 crore, in two separate cases.
According to an official release, in the first case, a passenger, whose identity is yet to be established, handed over about 23 gold bars, collectively weighing about 2.6 kg, to an employee of Indigo airlines in its office at the airport. The gold bars, which were handed over in a bathroom, were recovered from the employee when he had crossed ‘green channel’ (meant for declaring dutiable goods) inside the airport, it said.
Another person, who was to receive these gold bars, waiting outside the airport was also arrested, the release said.
The gold bars, which have been seized, worth Rs 71.05 lakh, it said, adding that both the accused have been arrested. The accused persons had in past also smuggled gold worth Rs 37.05 lakh using the same modus operandi. “Hence, the total value of the gold smuggled in this case is Rs 1.08 crore,” it said.
In another case, a passenger has been arrested for smuggling gold and saffron worth about Rs 45.67 lakh out of the country. The 27-year-old accused was travelling from Dubai to Bangkok via Delhi. He was intercepted by the customs officials on Tuesday.
“During examination of his hand baggage, 1.5 kg of gold which was ingeniously concealed in the form of stirrup of the bag and three kgs of saffron were recovered,” the release said.
The market value of the gold is Rs 42.67 lakh and that of saffron is Rs 3 lakh, it said, adding that the passenger has been arrested and the goods seized.