The Customs Department at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport, Ahmedabad, has seized gold worth approximately Rs 4.26 crore from an IndiGo aircraft that arrived from Dubai.
The seizure was made during a routine rummaging operation on IndiGo flight 6E-1478. During the search, customs officials, assisted by aircraft engineers, recovered two pouches wrapped in black plastic tape from a speaker box inside the aircraft’s front lavatory. The pouches contained 24 foreign-origin gold biscuits weighing a total of 2,799.3 grams.
According to customs authorities, the gold had been concealed in a manner suggesting an attempt to smuggle it into India in violation of the Customs Act, 1962. As no individual came forward to claim ownership of the contraband, the gold was seized as unclaimed under the provisions of the Act. Officials have launched a further investigation to identify those involved and to ascertain whether the smuggling attempt is linked to a larger syndicate operating on Gulf routes.