In a major crackdown on gold smuggling, officials of the Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Chennai International Airport seized 2.5 kg of gold valued at around ₹2.3 crore and arrested four people, including three Sri Lankan nationals and an airport ground staff employee.
The operation was carried out on Monday following specific intelligence inputs about a planned attempt to smuggle gold through transit passengers. A private flight from Dubai had landed in Chennai, and AIU officers kept a close watch on arriving passengers.
Suspicion soon fell on three Sri Lankan passengers who were in transit and scheduled to take a connecting flight to Colombo. The trio was seen entering a restroom in the international terminal before quickly leaving. Shortly afterward, an airport ground handling staffer entered the same restroom.
When he exited, officials intercepted him and recovered several gold bars concealed on his person. During questioning, he admitted that the gold had been hidden in the water tanks of the restroom and that he had been tasked with retrieving it for onward delivery to a smuggling syndicate.
Following the disclosure, the three Sri Lankan passengers were immediately detained from the transit lounge while waiting to board their flight. Further investigation confirmed their role in the smuggling attempt.
Customs authorities have launched a deeper probe to identify the larger network involved in the smuggling operation.
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