A 25-year-old Syrian was arrested with 18 gold bars weighing 18 kg at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday. The gold bars have been valued at Rs 4.95 crore, said a customs officer.
On Friday, passengers coming from the Gulf sector were under surveillance. The accused, coming from there, was intercepted after he crossed the green channel. This channel is for passengers who do not have any dutiable goods to declare.
“He had arrived from Bahrain by Gulf Air flight GF-134 at around 8:30 pm,” said Neeta Lall Butalia, Commissioner of Customs (IGI Airport).
On detailed examination of his baggage, nothing objectionable was found. But when his person was searched, the gold bars were found concealed in secret pockets of his trousers and inner jacket.
The gold was seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act. The passenger was arrested under Section 104 of the Act.
“The accused has revealed that he was smuggling the gold bars from Dubai,” said Sandeep Kumar Rawal, Deputy Commissioner, Preventive (IGI Airport).
He was reportedly not carrying any document related to the gold.
The case will also be investigated by central agencies like the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the Enforcement Directorate.
The arrest comes a month after 54 kg of gold bars worth over Rs 16.5 crore were seized from three persons at Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport.
In that case, the accused had arrived on a domestic flight from Kolkata and was scheduled to catch a flight to Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
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