Customs authorities at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport have seized gold worth over ₹4.26 crore (US $514,000 approx.) that was ingeniously concealed inside a speaker box on an IndiGo flight arriving from Dubai on Friday.
The seizure was made during a detailed inspection of IndiGo Flight 6E-1478, where Customs officials, with the assistance of aircraft engineers, discovered two black plastic-wrapped pouches hidden inside a speaker unit located in the aircraft’s front lavatory.
Upon inspection, officials recovered 24 foreign-origin gold biscuits of 999 purity (24 carat), collectively weighing 2,799.3 grams. The estimated market value of the seized gold stands at approximately ₹4.27 crore.
According to Customs officials, the sophisticated manner of concealment suggests that the gold was deliberately hidden by unidentified individuals with the intent to smuggle it into India in violation of the Customs Act, 1962 according to Indian new reports.
Since no passenger or crew member claimed ownership of the contraband, the consignment was officially seized as “unclaimed” under the relevant provisions of the law. Authorities have launched further investigations to trace those responsible for the attempted smuggling.
The latest seizure comes amid heightened vigilance at the airport, following earlier interceptions of large quantities of contraband, including foreign-origin cigarettes concealed in passenger baggage.
