New Delhi: Customs officials at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi intercepted a passenger arriving from Jeddah on August 6, uncovering 869.5 grams of 24-carat gold meticulously hidden within the tyres of an electric scooter.
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Terminal 1 conducted the seizure following specific intelligence inputs and passenger profiling. The individual had travelled from Jeddah to Delhi via Mumbai on IndiGo flight 6E-6133 before being intercepted upon arrival.
According to customs authorities, the flyer had checked in various household goods, including an electric scooter. During routine X-ray screening of the baggage, officers detected suspicious images within the scooter's structure. This prompted a thorough physical examination of the device, even though the passenger did not trigger the Door Frame Metal Detector (DFMD) upon entry.
The detailed inspection revealed 19 distinct cut pieces of 24-carat gold, with a net weight of 869.5 grams, ingeniously concealed inside the solid core of the e-scooter's tyres. This sophisticated method clearly aimed to bypass standard customs checks.
Authorities have seized the gold under the provisions of the Customs Act, and the passenger remains in custody. An active investigation is now underway to establish the precise source of the smuggled gold and to determine if this attempt is connected to a larger, organised smuggling network.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Siasat Gulf