A bizarre smuggling attempt case came to light at Bengaluru airport on Wednesday, when CISF personnel caught an Indian passenger using an unusual modus operandi. The passenger was apprehended for allegedly trying to smuggle 82 grams of gold concealed in capsules inside his mouth.
The passenger, who had landed early in the morning from Dubai, was intercepted around 7:30 am at Terminal 1 of the Kempegowda International Airport during security frisking before boarding a flight to Ghaziabad, news agency PTI reported.
Officials noted that while the seized quantity was relatively small, the method of attempted smuggling stood out.
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What happened?
According to the report, an officer informed that during the routine security screening, CISF personnel noticed suspicious behaviour of the passenger.
"During routine passenger security screening, CISF personnel noticed that the passenger was behaving suspiciously and was not responding appropriately during the screening process," the CISF officer noted.
Following this, a security check revealed two capsules containing suspected gold weighing about 82 grams were found concealed inside the passenger's mouth.
{{/usCountry}}Following this, a security check revealed two capsules containing suspected gold weighing about 82 grams were found concealed inside the passenger's mouth.
{{/usCountry}}The individual was subsequently handed over to the local police for further investigation, and the seized gold has been sent for a purity check.
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Man arrested with jewellery worth around ₹60 lakh
In a separate incident earlier this month, a man was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle gold jewellery worth approximately ₹60 lakh from the domestic cargo area of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. Acting on a tip-off, the authorities apprehended the accused.
The accused was intercepted while riding a scooter out of the domestic cargo terminal premises, PTI reported, citing a police officer
A search led to the seizure of roughly 400 grams of gold jewellery, comprising necklaces, bangles, and rings valued at around ₹60 lakh, along with several hundred grams of silver.
Preliminary investigation into the case had suggested that the consignment was being transported to Kolkata's Burrabazar area.
(with inputs from PTI)