AHMEDABAD: Customs officials at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport intercepted a husband-wife duo allegedly carrying gold jewellery worth nearly Rs 47 lakh from Kuwait, amid growing instances of women and couples being used as carriers in gold and cannabis smuggling attempts.
The latest interception was carried out by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs based on confidential inputs generated through passenger profiling.
The couple, residents of Andhra Pradesh, had arrived in Ahmedabad from Kuwait aboard Kuwait Airways flight KU-347 on October 6. The seizure has prompted Customs officials to examine whether such passengers are being used by organised smuggling networks to transport contraband and evade suspicion.
“Based on passenger profiling, Customs, Ahmedabad intercepted a husband-wife duo arriving from Kuwait by Flight KU-347 on 06.10.2026. Examination led to recovery of 308.710 gms of 24K gold jewellery valued at Rs 46.99 lakh, concealed in baggage and on the body. Gold seized; investigation underway,” Ahmedabad Customs said in a social media post.
During a detailed examination, Customs officials recovered 308.710 grams of 24-carat gold jewellery, including bangles, chains and anklets. The seized gold has been valued at approximately Rs 46.99 lakh.
According to Customs officials, the woman had allegedly adopted multiple concealment methods. Gold jewellery was found concealed inside her check-in baggage and handbag, while she was also wearing jewellery hidden beneath her clothes. Her husband, meanwhile, was allegedly wearing a gold chain concealed under his clothing.
Following the recovery, Customs seized the entire 308.710-gram consignment, valued at Rs 46,98,566, under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
The latest case comes amid a series of interceptions in which women and couples have allegedly emerged as carriers in smuggling attempts at the airport. In an earlier case, a couple was intercepted with gold jewellery worth Rs 23.41 lakh. In another case, a Vadodara-based couple was apprehended in connection with a cannabis consignment.
The repeated involvement of couples has also become a focus of the Customs investigation, with officials examining whether family members are being deliberately used to evade suspicion during international travel.
Meanwhile, investigators are probing the source of the seized gold, its intended recipient and the possible involvement of the Andhra Pradesh couple with a larger smuggling syndicate. Officials are also examining the circumstances surrounding the couple’s travel and whether they had been tasked with transporting the gold on behalf of others.
The investigation is underway.