BENGALURU: The Air Intelligence Unit of Bengaluru Airport Customs on Monday seized over 1.5kg of gold worth nearly Rs 1 crore from four flyers, including a woman. All the passengers were Indians who arrived at Kempegowda International Airport from the Gulf countries and Malaysia, said Customs officials.
The modus operandi in these incidents are similar -- concealment of gold inside clothes.
The incident that set off alarm bells is that of a 30-year-old from Bengaluru, who sells IT and hardware equipment. “He arrived from Kuala Lumpur by Air Asia flight (AK-053) around 11pm. He had concealed gold weighing 197.43 gm in the form of a crude gold kada and O-link chain, which have a total market value of Rs 12,55,655,” said an official. Bringing crude gold in any form inside the country is banned.
In another incident, a female passenger arriving from Kuwait on Air Arabia flight (J9-431) was caught smuggling in crude gold cut chains, bangles and pendants weighing a total of 196.73gm, concealed inside her clothes. It is valued at Rs 12,51,203.
Two other passengers arriving from Medina and Bahrain were caught attempting to smuggle foreign origin crude gold in the form of chains and small gold bars. “A total of 1.167kg gold worth Rs 74,64,986 was seized from both,” said an official release. “The passenger from Medina arrived by two Air Arabia flights -- from Medina to Sharjah (G9-176) and from Sharjah to Bengaluru (G9-496). The passenger from Bahrain arrived by Gulf Air (GF-282),” an official said.