Six Kenyans held at IGIA with gold worth Rs 1.78 crore

According to the officers, early Saturday, a team of customs officers received inputs about a gang of smugglers, who were trying to smuggle in a huge consignment of drugs from Ethiopia.

Customs officials at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport have arrested six Kenyan women, including a mother-daughter duo, who were trying to allegedly smuggle
into the country gold worth Rs 1.78 crore.

The gold weighed 6.2 kilograms and were worth Rs 1,78,90,998 . (HT Photo)

Officials said the recovered gold was in the form of dust, jewellery, cut pieces and chains.

According to the officers, early Saturday, a team of customs officers received inputs about a gang of smugglers, who were trying to smuggle in a huge consignment of drugs from Ethiopia.

“In the recent past, there have been no seizures of gold from Ethiopia but we had busted big consignments of narcotics from this route. While keeping an eye on drugs smugglers, we detained a few passengers, including the suspects. They were asked to cooperate for a detailed check of their bags and personal frisking,” said an officer who did not wish to be named.

Those who were suspected to be carrying drugs turned out to be clean but a group of women, who were made to pass through the metal detectors, came on our radar as the machine started to beep continuously, the officer said.

“The women were taken to a separate area for frisking. They were found carrying pieces of gold bars, chains and other jewellery items in the clothes they were wearing. They also hid gold dust in a pouch,” the officer said. The gold weighed 6.2 kilograms and were worth Rs 1,78,90,998 . All six women are from Kenya,” the officer said.

Additional commissioner customs, IGI airport, said the women were arrested and the gold was seized.