Passenger caught with gold worth ₹78 lakh hidden in socks at Ahmedabad airport
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs has arrested a passenger who allegedly attempted to smuggle over 750 grams of gold into the country by concealing it in his socks. The gold, valued at ₹78.29 lakh, was seized under the Customs Act, 1962.According to Customs officials, the incident occurred on August 9 when AIU officers, acting on specific passenger profiling, intercepted a male traveller arriving from Dubai. The passenger had landed at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on a SpiceJet flight, SG 16.During examination, officers discovered that the man was wearing socks containing six gold TT bars and three cut pieces of 24-carat gold, together weighing 750.700 grams. Officials said the concealment method appeared to have been aimed at evading baggage screening and manual checks.“The gold was of 24-carat purity and had a total market value of ₹78.29 lakh. It was hidden inside the socks worn by the passenger, which is a tactic occasionally used by smugglers seeking to avoid detection,” a senior AIU officer told Gujarat Samachar Digital.The passenger was arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act. Authorities are now probing whether the accused was acting as a carrier for a larger smuggling syndicate. Investigators are also trying to establish the source of the gold in Dubai and its intended recipient in India.In recent months, Ahmedabad Customs has stepped up passenger profiling and targeted checks on flights from high-risk destinations such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. “Our officers are trained to identify suspicious travel patterns and behavioural cues, which often lead to such detections,” the official added.The accused remains in custody, and further investigation is underway.
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs has arrested a passenger who allegedly attempted to smuggle over 750 grams of gold into the country by concealing it in his socks. The gold, valued at ₹78.29 lakh, was seized under the Customs Act, 1962.
According to Customs officials, the incident occurred on August 9 when AIU officers, acting on specific passenger profiling, intercepted a male traveller arriving from Dubai. The passenger had landed at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on a SpiceJet flight, SG 16.
During examination, officers discovered that the man was wearing socks containing six gold TT bars and three cut pieces of 24-carat gold, together weighing 750.700 grams. Officials said the concealment method appeared to have been aimed at evading baggage screening and manual checks.
“The gold was of 24-carat purity and had a total market value of ₹78.29 lakh. It was hidden inside the socks worn by the passenger, which is a tactic occasionally used by smugglers seeking to avoid detection,” a senior AIU officer told Gujarat Samachar Digital.
The passenger was arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act. Authorities are now probing whether the accused was acting as a carrier for a larger smuggling syndicate. Investigators are also trying to establish the source of the gold in Dubai and its intended recipient in India.
In recent months, Ahmedabad Customs has stepped up passenger profiling and targeted checks on flights from high-risk destinations such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. “Our officers are trained to identify suspicious travel patterns and behavioural cues, which often lead to such detections,” the official added.
The accused remains in custody, and further investigation is underway.
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