Passenger held at RGIA with foreign origin gold worth ₹2.25 million

1.48 kg gold of foreign origin seized at RGIA, Hyderabad.

A passenger traveling on the domestic leg of an international flight was arrested at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) after Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials found 1.48 kg of foreign-origin gold worth around ₹2.25 crore hidden under his clothes.

The passenger had arrived in Hyderabad from Tiruchirappalli on a flight previously operated by the international sector.

Acting on specific intelligence, the Hyderabad DRI zonal unit detained him at the airport and conducted a search.

Officials recovered six pieces of gold of foreign origin with a total weight of 1,481,780 grams. The gold was wrapped in blue tape and carbon paper and concealed in a specially designed pouch worn under the passenger’s clothing.

However, the investigation pointed to an unusual method of moving the smuggled gold to Hyderabad. According to the DRI, the passenger said he picked up the package from inside the plane where it had been hidden during the previous international leg of the flight.

Intelligence developed by the agency indicated that the gold was placed on board the aircraft after its arrival from a foreign destination. It was then allegedly intended to be retrieved by a passenger traveling on the same flight during the aircraft’s domestic journey to Hyderabad.

Six gold pieces worth around ₹2.25 crore were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

The passenger was detained on October 6 according to the relevant provisions of the law. Further investigation into the smuggling operation is ongoing.

Published – 7 Oct 2026 19:10 IST