Man arrested at Kerala Airport for smuggling 1.16 Kg gold hidden inside lamp

A man was arrested at Kerala’s Kozhikode airport after authorities seized 1.16 kg of smuggled gold allegedly concealed inside an emergency lamp, police said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Aslam, had arrived from Dubai on a Flynas flight and was intercepted after exiting Karipur International Airport, reportedly bypassing initial customs checks.

Officials said the gold was ingeniously hidden in the form of 10 gold bars placed inside an emergency lamp. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, law enforcement officers tracked and detained the passenger shortly after he left the airport premises.

A case has been registered, and investigators are now probing whether the accused was acting alone or as part of a larger smuggling syndicate. Authorities are also trying to identify the intended recipients of the contraband.

The latest seizure adds to a series of gold smuggling incidents reported at Karipur International Airport in recent months, highlighting continued concerns over organised smuggling networks operating through the route.

Earlier cases have included attempts to conceal gold inside body cavities and coordinated efforts involving individuals waiting outside airport premises to collect illegal consignments.

Enforcement agencies have intensified surveillance at the airport amid repeated seizures, with investigations also examining possible lapses and jurisdictional disputes between Customs and state police authorities.