Gold Smuggling Bid Busted at IGI Airport: Yellow Paste Hidden in Shoes Seize

In a significant interception by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at IGI Airport, a suspected gold smuggling attempt was foiled during the night shift operations on March 27/28. Based on profiling intelligence, customs officials intercepted a passenger arriving from Bangkok via Air India flight AI-335 at Terminal 3.

The passenger, who had opted for the green channel indicating no dutiable goods, was stopped for further screening. During X-ray examination of his baggage, customs officers detected suspicious images. Although no alarm was triggered at the Door Frame Metal Detector (DFMD), a detailed manual search was carried out.

The search led to the recovery of two pouches containing a yellow-coloured chemical paste, suspected to contain gold, cleverly concealed within a pair of shoes. The total gross weight of the seized substance, including packaging, is reported to be 282 grams.

Officials have sent the recovered paste for chemical analysis to confirm its composition. If confirmed to be gold, the case may involve serious contraventions of the Customs Act, 1962, particularly relating to smuggling and false declaration.

Customs authorities have initiated further investigation to trace the origins of the contraband and determine whether the passenger was part of a larger smuggling network.

This seizure adds to the growing list of innovative concealment methods being employed by smugglers at Indian airports, even as customs vigilance and profiling systems continue to thwart such attempts effectively.

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Mariya Paliwala

Mariya is theSenior Editor at JurisHour. She has 5+ years of experience on covering tax litigation stories from the Supreme Court, High Courts and various tribunals including CESTAT, ITAT, NCLAT, NCLT, etc. Mariya graduated from MLSU Law College, Udaipur (Raj.) with B.A.LL.B. and also holds an LL.M. She started as a freelance tax reporter in the leading online legal news companies like LiveLaw & Taxscan.

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