Customs Officials Seize Drones, iPhones, and Over 2 Kg of Smuggled Gold at Delhi Airport

In a series of high-value seizures at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, customs officials have confiscated a cache of smuggled goods, including high-end electronics like drones and over two kilograms of gold, in separate cases spanning the last few days.

In the first case, an Indian passenger arriving from Dubai on March 28 was intercepted at Terminal 3’s green channel based on spot profiling. Despite no alarm being triggered during the Door Frame Metal Detector (DFMD) screening, suspicious images spotted during an X-ray of his baggage led officials to conduct a thorough examination.

The search resulted in the seizure of eight DJI Mini 4 Pro drones and six Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max devices, all concealed in commercial quantities. “The goods were hidden in a manner suggesting intent to evade customs duty and were of a quantity indicative of commercial use,” the Customs Department posted on X (formerly Twitter), adding that further investigation is ongoing under the Customs Act.

In a separate gold smuggling attempt on the same day, another Indian passenger was intercepted after arriving from Bangkok. Customs officials, alerted by suspicious X-ray images, discovered two pouches containing a yellow-coloured chemical paste concealed inside a pair of shoes. The gross weight of the seized substance was 282 grams, including packaging, and is suspected to contain gold.

Another significant bust occurred on April 5, when a passenger from Kochi was apprehended on suspicion of smuggling gold. A detailed search led to the discovery of 1,105 grams of gold, valued at Rs. 94.16 lakh, cleverly concealed in six pouches of paste form. The passenger later confessed to being involved in the smuggling operation.

In a third gold smuggling case reported on April 4, a passenger from Kolkata was found carrying eight mercury-coated hollow cylindrical rods, two rings, and one rod ingeniously hidden inside roller skates and the trolley bag’s hollow rod. Upon melting, 473 grams of gold was recovered from the 488 grams of seized material.

The Customs Department has stated that further investigations are underway to trace the origins, intended recipients, and the broader networks involved in these smuggling operations. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to maintaining vigilance against the smuggling of high-value goods and gold, especially through increasingly sophisticated concealment techniques.

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