Gujarat DRI makes third gold seizure from Ahmedabad Airport in 5 months

Ahmedabad: Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Sunday night confiscated gold biscuits weighing 8 kg from a person who landed at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in Ahmedabad from Dubai. This was the third seizure at the international airport in five months.

The DRI Ahmedabad officials said following a tip-off the passenger was intercepted as he arrived on a Dubai flight to the airport. Intriguingly, the DRI sleuths also arrested a duty-free shop staff at the airport who was allegedly supposed to receive the gold consignment.

An official statement from the agency said on Monday, "Acting on the intelligence, DRI officers intercepted a passenger and recovered 8 kg of foreign origin gold worth 4.21 crore from the passenger's handbag. The passenger confessed that he had to hand over the smuggled gold to a person at the airport. Later, the receiver of the gold was identified as a staffer in duty-free shop at SVPI airport."

In the earlier seizure this year, the DRI officials in March arrested three passengers, including a woman, at the SVPI airport in Ahmedabad after they were allegedly found smuggling 2.6 kilograms of gold.

According to DRI Ahmedabad officials, a team of DRI and Customs officials intercepted the three passengers at the airport premises after they landed from a Dubai flight. The accused passengers were allegedly carrying gold inside their bodies.

According to DRI, 11 capsules containing 2,661.800 grams with a market value of Rs 1.40 crore and of 99% purity were recovered and seized under the provisions of Indian Customs Act 1962.

Similarly, in February 2022, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs Department in Ahmedabad seized a total of 340.53 grams of 24 karat gold worth Rs 15 lakh from two international passengers, who also originated in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Published on: Monday, July 25, 2022, 06:54 PM IST