New Delhi, Apr 8: Customs officials at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport have made a series of significant seizures, including high-end electronics and nearly two kilograms of smuggled gold, in separate incidents over recent days.
In one case, an Indian passenger arriving from Dubai on March 28 was intercepted at Terminal 3’s green channel exit based on profiling. An X-ray scan of his baggage revealed suspicious images. A detailed inspection led to the recovery of eight DJI Mini 4 Pro drones and six iPhone 16 Pro Max devices. The goods, concealed and carried in commercial quantities, were seized for violating customs regulations. Further investigation is underway.
On the same day, another Indian passenger returning from Bangkok was caught smuggling gold. Customs officials recovered 282 grams of gold, concealed as yellow paste hidden in a pair of shoes. The paste was found during baggage examination, though the passenger passed through the metal detector without triggering an alert.
In a separate incident on April 5, a man was caught smuggling 1.1 kg of foreign-origin gold, valued at over Rs 94 lakh, after arriving from Kochi. Gold paste was found hidden in six pouches—four blue and two green—on his person. The passenger confessed to smuggling the gold.
In a third case on April 4, customs intercepted a passenger arriving from Kolkata and recovered 473 grams of gold, cleverly concealed within roller skate wheels and a trolley bag’s hollow rod. The gold, initially disguised using mercury coating, was extracted after melting.
The Customs Department confirmed that further investigations are underway to determine the origin, intended use, and legal violations related to these smuggling attempts.