Customs officials at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) laid hands on an American national of Indian origin on Saturday, from whom they recovered 115 gold bars valued at Rs 5.5 crore, officials said. All the seized bars were of 24-karat purity, reports claimed.

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of customs intercepted the accused shortly after he touched down the national capital from San Francisco on an Air India flight on Saturday. 

Officials said he attempted to walk through the Green Channel without declaring the high-value contraband, triggering suspicion among surveillance teams deployed at the international arrivals terminal. 

As per customs authorities, the operation was launched following risk-based profiling and intelligence inputs, prompting officers to maintain discreet surveillance on select passengers arriving from abroad. 

Gold bars concealed in pockets stitched into trousers

In the presence of independent witnesses, the officials frisked the man and discovered 115gold bars weighing a total of 3,565 grams hidden in specially crafted inner pockets stitched into the lining of the passenger’s trousers. 

Investigators revealed that the accused had also worn a customised belt designed to evade routine airport checks. The seized gold bars were found to be of 24-karat purity with a fineness level of 999.9, signalling towards a premium-grade bullion often targeted by smuggling syndicates. 

The officials seized the contraband under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962, while the passenger was arrested under Section 104 of the same legislation. Sources familiar with the development said further probe is underway to ascertain whether the accused was acting independently or was part of a larger international smuggling network. 

Rise in smuggling attempts rings alarm bells

Senior customs officials, who have been monitoring illicit bullion movement, said that the seizure comes in the thick of a spike in gold smuggling attempts recorded over the past week. Authorities believe that the surge in the customs duty on gold, imposed recently, may have boosted illegal profit margins for international smuggling syndicates. A senior official said, “With profit margins soaring dramatically, syndicates appear to be taking greater risks and deploying more advanced tactics for smuggling gold.” 

Amid the evolving threat, the Customs Department has beefed up security measures across major international airports. Officials said advanced passenger data analytics, enhanced  physical screening and real-time risk profiling systems are now being integrated into airport surveillance operations.