Delhi Customs officials on Wednesday arrested two Indians at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport for allegedly smuggling over nine kg gold bars worth nearly Rs 3 crore. Meanwhile, in another incident on Wednesday, Customs officials also intercepted and arrested a Riyadh-bound Indian for allegedly carrying over 100 bottles of a banned cough syrup at Delhi airport.
In first incident, according to a senior Customs official, On Wednesday, the two Indians who arrived at the Terminal-3 of IGI from Bangkok, was intercepted by the Customs after they had crossed the Green Channel.
“They were stopped for personal and baggage search and that resulted in the recovery of 12 pieces of gold bars, weighing 9,152 grams (gms) and four small pieces of gold bars weighing 265 gms wrapped with the red colour adhesive tape and concealed inside the check-in-baggage,” said the senior Customs official.
“The value of the recovered gold weighing 9,417 gms is Rs 2,93,44,555. The yellow metal bars have been seized and the two are arrested,” said the Customs official.
“Both the persons also confessed to have smuggled 60 kgs of gold worth approximately Rs 16.80 crore between January 2018 to July 2019. Follow-up raids are being carried out at four premises in north, central and south Delhi,” the official added. For the purpose of Customs clearance of arriving passengers, a two-channel system has been adopted under which the Green Channel is for passengers not having any dutiable goods while the Red Channel for those having dutiable goods.
In another incident, a Riyadh-bound Indian has been arrested at Delhi airport for allegedly carrying over 100 bottles of a banned cough syrup.
“The passenger, whose identity was not revealed, was intercepted by the Customs officers at the Terminal-3 of IGI Airport on Wednesday. A personal and baggage search of the traveller resulted in the recovery of 110 bottles of 100 ml each of the banned drug,” said the official.
“The bottles have been seized and the passenger has been arrested under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act,” the official added.