On August 24, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport was the site of two distinct operations carried out by the Ahmedabad Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU).
Gold, Cigarettes Seized Onboard
seizing almost two kilos of gold worth over ₹1.93 crore and illegal cigarettes worth over ₹8 lakh.
During a routine check of Indigo flight 6E-1478, which had arrived from Dubai, customs officials said they discovered two bags suspected of concealing gold paste in the aircraft’s restroom.
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The total weight of the pouches was 2,196.61 grams. Following extraction, investigators obtained two 24-karat pure gold bars measuring 1,867.31 grams.
Gold, Cigarettes Worth Crores
The market and tariff values of the confiscated gold were determined to be ₹1.93 crore and ₹1.77 crore, respectively. The terms of the 1962 Customs Act led to its arrest.
In a separate interception the same day, AIU agents detained two passengers aboard flight MH202 that had traveled from Cambodia via Malaysia. Following an examination of their luggage, 52,400 cigarette sticks totaling almost ₹8 00,000 were found.
Customs Crack Down on Smuggling
The purpose of the inquiry, according to customs authorities, is to determine if organized syndicates are responsible for the smuggling efforts and to identify the individuals who are planning the operations.
Increasingly, smuggling organizations are using passenger transports and creative hiding techniques. According to a senior Customs official, the AIU is still alert and dedicated to stopping these illicit shipments