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Customs officials have seized gold worth more than Rs 4.26 crore from an IndiGo flight that arrived in Ahmedabad from Dubai, foiling an alleged smuggling attempt involving a concealed compartment inside the aircraft’s toilet area.

The seizure was made on Friday, June 12, at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport after officers acted on specific intelligence and conducted a detailed inspection of IndiGo flight 6E-1478 with the assistance of aircraft engineers.

During the search, officials discovered two packets wrapped in black tape hidden inside a speaker unit fitted in the front lavatory of the aircraft.

On examination, the packets were found to contain 24 foreign-origin gold biscuits of 999 purity (24-carat), weighing a combined 2,799.3 grams. Customs officials valued the recovered gold at Rs 4,26,89,325 in the domestic market.

Videos shared by ANI on Saturday, June 13, from the airport showed Customs personnel dismantling the speaker assembly and retrieving the concealed gold biscuits, revealing the elaborate method used to smuggle the precious metal.

Watch the video here

Investigators believe the consignment had been concealed for collection after the aircraft landed. However, no passenger or crew member came forward to claim ownership, prompting authorities to suspect the operation was abandoned amid heightened vigilance at the airport.

The gold has been confiscated as unclaimed under the Customs Act, 1962. Customs authorities have launched a detailed investigation to identify those behind the smuggling attempt and determine whether it is linked to a wider network.

Recent seizure at Ahmedabad airport

The latest interception adds to a series of Customs actions at Ahmedabad airport. In a recent case, officials seized more than 113,000 foreign-origin cigarettes concealed in the baggage of two passengers who arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight. The consignment, comprising Mond and Gudang Garam cigarettes, was confiscated under the provisions of the Customs Act.