New Delhi, September 16: A Bangladeshi national was arrested at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after customs officials recovered gold allegedly smuggled from Jeddah and concealed inside his undergarments.
The passenger arrived at Terminal 3 from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday and was scheduled to take a connecting flight to Dhaka. He was intercepted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in the international transit area during an intensive security check.
According to officials, three brownish-white, oval-shaped capsules containing suspected gold in chemical paste form were found concealed inside his undergarments. The material weighed around 1,596 grams, including the packing material.
During questioning, the passenger allegedly admitted that the gold had been brought from Jeddah to Delhi. He reportedly told officials that he had been instructed to hand over the consignment to another person in the airport’s transit area.
Customs officials subsequently seized 1,346 grams of gold under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962. The passenger was also arrested under Section 104 of the same Act.
The incident highlights the methods used by suspected smugglers to conceal precious metals while travelling through international airports. Chemical-paste gold, in particular, can be concealed in small packets or capsules and may require detailed security checks to detect.
The passenger was reportedly intercepted before he could board his onward flight to Dhaka. Officials are now expected to investigate who was supposed to receive the gold at the airport and whether others were involved in the alleged smuggling operation.
The case comes amid continued efforts by customs and security agencies to curb gold smuggling through Indian airports. International transit passengers are subject to security and customs checks, particularly when authorities suspect attempts to move undeclared precious metals across borders.
Further investigation will determine the source of the consignment, its intended recipient and the circumstances surrounding its movement from Saudi Arabia to India.
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