Delhi: Customs officials at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport have intercepted two separate attempts to smuggle gold into the country, recovering more than 3.17 kilograms of the precious metal valued at approximately Rs 4.35 crore. Three foreign nationals have been arrested in connection with the cases, authorities confirmed on Monday.
In the first case, a 39-year-old woman from Chad was apprehended after arriving on a flight from Addis Ababa. Acting on intelligence inputs and passenger profiling, Customs officers stopped her for detailed screening. During examination of her baggage, officials recovered high-purity gold items weighing 1,843 grams. The consignment was assessed at a tariff value of around Rs 2.37 crore.
According to officials, the passenger admitted that she had brought the gold into India without declaring it or paying the required customs duty. The gold was seized under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the woman was placed under arrest for alleged smuggling.
In another incident earlier this week, two Myanmar nationals were intercepted at Terminal-3 after arriving from Yangon. The duo was stopped while attempting to exit through the green channel at the international arrivals area, which is designated for passengers with nothing to declare.
Upon questioning and subsequent personal search, the men allegedly confessed to concealing gold bars internally in an effort to avoid detection. Officials stated that each passenger later expelled four rectangular gold bars, resulting in a total recovery of eight bars weighing 1,329 grams. The seized gold has been valued at approximately Rs 1.98 crore.
Both men were arrested under relevant provisions of the Customs Act for their alleged involvement in smuggling activities.
Customs authorities said investigations are underway to determine whether the accused were acting independently or as part of a larger network. The back-to-back seizures highlight continued efforts by enforcement agencies to curb gold smuggling through one of the country’s busiest airports.
