Customs officials seize 257 grams of gold concealed inside screwdriver at Delhi airport

New Delhi: Customs officials have seized 257 grams of gold, concealed inside a screwdriver carried in the luggage of a woman passenger at the international airport here, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.

Based on profiling, a 20-year-old male passenger from Uttar Pradesh, travelling from Jeddah, was identified for surveillance, the statement said.

"He was observed escorting a female passenger in a wheelchair, who was travelling on the same flight from Riyadh to Delhi. Both passengers were intercepted at the exit of the Green Channel. During X-ray screening of the female passenger's baggage, suspicious images were observed," the customs department said in a post on X.

A detailed physical examination of the baggage revealed a "cylindrical-shaped yellow metal piece (gold) concealed inside a screwdriver, weighing approximately 257 grams," it added, noting that the seized gold has been taken into custody.

The value of the seized gold is around Rs 18.62 lakh, officials said.