Officials seize over 2 kg gold from air passenger

The passenger failed to declare any dutiable goods in his possession and tried to escape from personal baggage check

The Customs Air Intelligence Unit detained a passenger at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad on Friday morning for illegally possessing two gold bars each weighing one kg, worth over Rs.74.43 lakh.

The passenger, Mir Mohammed Hussain, hailing from Karnataka arrived from Singapore in a Silk Air flight MI 478 when the customs officials intercepted him at the exit gate. The passenger failed to declare any dutiable goods in his possession and tried to escape from personal baggage check too. When the officials questioned him about the possession of any dutiable or prohibited goods, he replied in the negative.

Armlet found

However, after a detailed examination, the authorities recovered two gold bars each weighing one kg. An armlet weighing 0.449 kg that was deftly concealed beneath his trousers and shirt was also recovered from the passenger.

“When we interrogated him, the passenger confessed to the crime. Investigations are on to nab the kingpin behind the gold smuggling,” an official said.

500 gm seized from passenger

In a similar incident, 500 grams of gold was recovered from a passenger Azamathullah Khan at RGIA on Thursday morning. Khan from Tamil Nadu landed at the airport from Malaysia when the customs officials frisked him only to find gold bars concealed in a small leather bag.