Custom officials intercept passenger at IGI, recover gold worth Rs 72.72 lakhs

New Delhi [India], December 7 : A passenger travelling domestically from Madhya Pradesh's Indore to New Delhi was intercepted on Friday by customs officials based on intelligence input at the national capital's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
According to customs officials, the airport security recovered 13 yellow metal pieces of gold weighing nearly 999 grams. The estimated value of the foreign-origin gold is worth Rs 72.72 lakhs, approximately, officials added. The authorities informed that further investigation was underway.
This comes after airport security noticed suspicious images during the X-ray of the baggage. The passenger was intercepted by the officials on the basis of information provided by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs at IGI Airport.
"On the basis of specific Information developed by the Air Intelligence Unit(AIU) of Customs at IGI Airport, one male passenger aged 37, travelling from Indore to Delhi today was intercepted at Terminal-3 of IGI airport and was brought to the Customs arrivals area for further checking. During the x-ray of the baggage, some suspicious images were noticed in the personal baggage of the pax which resulted in the recovery of 13 yellow metal pieces appearing to be foreign-origin gold weighing 999 Gms. The value of seized gold is Rs 72.72 lakhs approx. Further investigation is under progress," Delhi Customs (Airport & General) posted on X.
Earlier, the customs officials on Thursday said that three male passengers travelling from Kazakhstan's Almaty to New Delhi were intercepted. The three passengers, holding Uzbekistan passports, admitted to concealing eight irregularly shaped gold metal pieces in their rectum cavity, according to Delhi Customs.
Over a week ago, customs officials recovered a silver-coloured gold bar, weighing 117.00 grams, which was concealed in a cream box after intercepting a passenger travelling from Saudi Arabia's Riyadh to New Delhi.
"On the basis of intelligence, one pax (passenger), travelling from Riyadh to Delhi by flight dated 26.11.2024 was intercepted by Customs at IGI Airport at the exit of the green channel and during x-ray of baggage, some suspicious images were noticed. Further examination of baggage resulted in the recovery of one silver colour bar believed to be gold totally weighing 117.00 grams concealed inside a cream box," Delhi Customs (Airport & General) posted on X.