Amritsar: In second such incident in the last 24 hours, Customs Department has arrested a gold smuggler from Dubai upon his arrival at Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar district of Punjab, officials said on Wednesday. The customs department has seized gold worth Rs 45.22 lakh from the possession of the accused, who had concealed the gold in his private parts.
According to the information received in this regard, the accused smuggler had landed at Amritsar airport from Dubai by Air India flight. It is learnt that the Customs officials got suspicious after seeing the person's movement at the airport. Later, the accused was stopped for checking by the Customs officials and interrogated thoroughly by the officials.
In the subsequent questioning, three capsules of gold were recovered from him, which he had brought hidden in his private part, an official said.
Also read: Karnataka: Flyer caught with 30 gold biscuits concealed in rectum at Bengaluru airport
Paste made to avoid metal detector: Sources in the Customs Department said that the accused had made capsules of gold paste in a bid to avoid the metal detector. Smugglers have lately adopted the tactic to evade metal detectors installed at airports. When the gold paste was weighed, its total weight was about one kilogram.
Action under the Customs Act: The gold was then converted to pure 24 carats, the total weight of which is stated to be 751 grams. The international value of this gold consignment is estimated to be around Rs 45.22 lakh. The Customs Department has registered a case against the accused under the relevant sections of the Customs Act, 1962.
The incident bears similarity to another abortive drug smuggling bid at the Kempegowda international airport on Sunday. The passenger arrived at the Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport, Devanahalli from Kolkata airport in an AirAsia Flight 15 1536 on Independence Day Aug. 15 on Tuesday. An official said that gold biscuits weighing 600 grams were recovered from the passenger who had concealed them in his rectum.
