Delhi Airport Gold Smuggling: Passenger Caught Hiding Gold Worth Rs 85.77 Lakh in Socks

New Delhi: A case of gold smuggling involving a cunning modus operandi has come to light at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. An Indian passenger arriving from abroad had concealed gold paste inside his socks to evade customs officials and bring it into India. However, the vigilance of customs officers thwarted his plans. During the search, the concealed gold was recovered; its market value is estimated at approximately Rs 85.77 lakh.

Passenger caught by customs upon arrival from Muscat

The Customs Department stated that the passenger arrived at Terminal-3 of Delhi's IGI Airport on flight WY-241 from Muscat, Oman. Prior to this, he had traveled from Dubai, UAE, to Muscat on flight WY-612. During customs screening at the airport, the passenger was intercepted and subjected to a personal search. Two rectangular packets concealed inside his socks were recovered. The total weight of the packets, including the wrapping and concealing material, was 725 grams.

Testing reveals 587 grams of pure gold

The process of extracting the contents from both packets was carried out in the presence of independent witnesses. A yellow metal bar was subsequently recovered. Testing with the airport's karat-measuring device recorded the gold's weight at 587 grams and its purity at 100 percent. The tariff value of the recovered gold was assessed at Rs 76,20,434, while the total market value was estimated at Rs 8,576,657.

Gold seized; investigation underway

The department seized the gold under Section 110(1) of the Customs Act, 1962. The passenger allegedly admitted that the gold had been brought from Dubai and concealed with the intention of bringing it into India without declaring it to customs officials or paying the applicable duties. Further investigation into the matter is underway.