Cabin crew member, catering company employee held for smuggling gold on flight from London

Officials said they received information based on which a team of customs sleuths raided a flight, which had arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport from London and intercepted a member of the cabin crew.

Customs at the Delhi airport on Sunday arrested a crew member of an Air India London to Delhi flight and the employee of a catering company for allegedly trying to smuggle gold worth over ₹70 lakh. The two men have also smuggled gold in the past worth over ₹1 .3 crore, officials said.

Further enquiry revealed that the two men had previously been involved in two cases of gold smuggling wherein they smuggled 3.1kg gold worth ₹1.3 crore. (HT Archives. Representative image)

Officials said they received information based on which a team of customs sleuths raided a flight, which had arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport from London and intercepted a member of the cabin crew.

During a thorough search, gold in the form of bangles, was recovered from the overhead luggage cabin. “Further probe revealed the involvement of a catering company employee who was also arrested. The recovered gold weighs around 1.6kg and is valued ₹72.47 lakh,” said a customs officer who wished not to be named.

Further enquiry revealed that the two men had previously been involved in two cases of gold smuggling wherein they smuggled 3.1kg gold worth ₹1.3 crore. “The duo is being questioned to find out if they’re associated with any smuggling cartel. The origin of the gold is also being looked into and it is being probed to whom it was to be delivered,” the officer said.

Jayant Sahay, additional commissioner, customs, Delhi airport, said the two men were arrested and the recovered gold was seized.