Customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi detained a US citizen of Indian origin who was carrying 115 contraband gold bricks. The contraband, weighing approximately 3.5 kilograms, was discovered hidden inside a uniquely designed belt, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
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In an official statement, senior customs officials monitoring illicit trade patterns noted that the significant drop is “directly correlated” with the sudden increase in gold smuggling attempts over the past week. The increase follows a recent policy change that increased the duty import of gold from 6 percent to 15 percent, drastically changing the dynamics of the illicit market and profit margins for smugglers.
Officers from the Aviation Intelligence Unit (AIU) apprehended the passenger at the international arrivals terminal, acting on accurate intelligence inputs generated by risk-based passenger profiling. The passenger landed in New Delhi from San Francisco on May 15 and allegedly tried to sneak through the green channel to avoid detection.
“With profit margins per kilogram skyrocketing, international syndicates appear to have demonstrated increased desperation by deploying increasingly sophisticated methods of concealment,” the statement said.
Smuggler nabbed at Ahmedabad airport after swallowing 135 grams of gold
In February, the Ahmedabad Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) apprehended a passenger arriving from Abu Dhabi who was attempting to smuggle over 135 grams of 24-carat gold (worth approximately ₹21.89 lakh) by swallowing it, according to official reports.
Based on Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) profiling, AIU officers de-bonded a male passenger identified as Sharukh after he arrived at Ahmedabad airport from Abu Dhabi on board Air Arabia flight 3L 111 on February 19, according to a press release from the Ahmedabad Customs Department.
During the initial questioning, the traveler admitted to hiding the metal contraband deep inside his body by swallowing the items. Following this admission and in accordance with the order dated 19 February 2026 issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ahmedabad, the passenger was immediately admitted to the local civil hospital for a thorough medical examination and further legal investigation.
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At the medical facility, doctors monitored the patient and successfully recovered three yellow-colored cylindrical capsules alongside a single spherical steel ball during a bowel movement. The Civil Hospital formally confirmed the recovery of the hidden items in a medical report dated February 21, after which the patient was officially released into custody.
A government-approved appraiser subsequently examined the items found and issued an official certificate verifying that the three cylindrical capsules were composed of 24-karat gold (999.0 fineness) weighing exactly 135,200 grams. Gold has a current market value ₹21,89,564 and tariff value ₹20,17,801. Meanwhile, the fourth spherical object was found to be made of common iron metal. All items found were officially seized under the provisions of the Customs Act 1962 for an illegal attempt to smuggle contraband into India through bodily concealment without a formal customs declaration.
During a subsequent physical search, AIU officers discovered 115 gold bars neatly concealed in the inner lining of a specially designed belt worn under the passenger’s pants. The seized bullion consisted of 24-carat purity (999.9) and weighed exactly 3,565 grams.
Customs officials said the gold was illegally imported into India as contraband and was officially seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962. As a result, the passenger was arrested under Section 104 of the same Act, the statement said.
