Over 1.5 kg gold was recovered from four persons including three international passengers and a person who flew into Hyderabad from Mumbai in two separate incidents at the RGI Airport since Friday night. In the first incident, a Mumbai-based smuggler was arrested, while in the second case the precious metal was seized, but the three passengers from Jeddah were let off.
Hyderabad: 1.5 kg gold Seized at RGI Airport, four Arrested
The air intelligence unit (AIU) and directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) carried out the arrests at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad. Reportedly, 1.5 kg of gold worth over 63 lakh has been seized by the officials.
In the first case, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths intercepted a smuggler, who arrived from Mumbai, with gold paste wrapped in duct tape and concealed in his rectum. 724 grams of gold worth Rs 27.8 lakh has been recovered from the paste.
Acting on specific information, the DRI team intercepted a passenger, who arrived from Mumbai by Air India’s AI50 flight on Friday night. As the suspect could not give proper answers for the purpose of his visit, the DRI team subjected him to frisking and sustained interrogation. The passenger claimed his friend had given him the gold to be handed over to an associate in the city. The passenger was arrested.
A DRI official said, “When nothing suspicious was found in his baggage, the passenger was made to undergo a full-body scan where suspicious objects were found concealed in his rectum. Under the supervision of doctors, three elliptical capsules were found, wrapped in black adhesive tape which contained gold in paste form. The paste weighed 832 gm and contained 724 gm of gold.”
He further added, “The smuggled metal has been seized under the Customs Act, 1962, and the accused was arrested.”
In the other case on Saturday, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) sleuths of the customs department intercepted three passengers who had arrived from Jeddah on Saturday night by SG 034 flight and seized pieces of gold biscuits weighing 915 grams from them. The accused concealed the gold, worth Rs 35 lakh, in their clothes and footwear.
Separate cases were registered under the Customs Act. However, no arrests were made in this case.
