6 passengers smuggling 10kg gold in appliances held at Amritsar airport

The contraband is worth Rs 5 crore; accused flew in two flights under Vande Bharat mission, says customs (preventive) department

A team of the customs (preventive) department arrested six passengers at the Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport and claimed to have recovered 10.22 kilogram gold they had concealed in household appliances.

Customs officials with the recovered gold in Amritsar on Friday.

The six flew from Dubai in two Air Arabia flights under the Vande Bharat mission.

In a press statement, customs commissioner (Amritsar) Deepak Kumar Gupta said, “Our team of officers at the airport intercepted five passengers on Thursday and one passenger on Friday. The passengers adopted a unique modus operandi by trying to smuggle gold worth Rs 5 crore in home appliances like iron, drill machines and mixer grinder etc.”

“The five arrived in the flight IX–192 while one came onboard the flight G9275 of Air Arabia,” he added.

He, however, did not divulge details of the accused.

“The officers noticed something suspicious in their baggage during the targeted search and examination that also involves the use of X-Ray. During the further checking, the gold was found concealed in the appliances. All the passengers used the same modus operandi. The gold is of 24 carat purity,” the customs commissioner added.

“We have heightened vigil in the wake of recent seizures of gold at different international airports across India. We also had some specific inputs about the smuggling bid,” Gupta said.

The items were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and further investigation is under progress, he said.