Woman passenger held with Rs 83 lakh gold chain concealed in sweater at Ahmedabad airport
Ahmedabad, Aug 23 (IANS) Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad seized nearly half a kilogram of 24-carat gold worth more than Rs 83 lakh from a 31-year-old woman from Bhavnagar who arrived from Sharjah on Sunday, officials said.
The passenger was intercepted by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), Ahmedabad Customs, on the basis of passenger profiling after she landed on Air Arabia flight G9-418 from Sharjah on August 23.
During examination, Customs officers found that the woman had concealed a gold chain inside the high-neck sweater she was wearing.
The chain weighed 499.540 grams and was found to be 24-carat gold. According to Customs, the jewellery had a market value of Rs 83,14,843. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
The woman was subsequently arrested under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act and was later released on bail. Further investigation is underway.
The seizure comes amid a series of gold interceptions at Ahmedabad airport involving passengers arriving from Gulf destinations.
On August 16, Customs officials intercepted a female passenger arriving from Sharjah and recovered 219.43 grams of gold jewellery valued at about Rs 28.87 lakh.
The jewellery, which included chains, necklaces, bracelets, a bangle, an anklet and earrings, was found concealed in her purse and beneath her clothes.
In another recent case, a woman arriving from Dubai was intercepted by the AIU (Air Intelligence Unit) on July 30 after passenger profiling.
Customs officials recovered more than 240 grams of 24-carat gold, including four bangles and a chain with a pendant, valued at about Rs 35.5 lakh. The jewellery was seized under the Customs Act.
Ahmedabad Customs has also reported larger recoveries this year. In February, officials seized 601.940 grams of 24-carat gold worth Rs 96.06 lakh from a passenger arriving from Dubai.
The gold was found partly in the form of bars and partly concealed as gold paste inside the passenger’s underwear.
The latest case involving the Bhavnagar resident remains under investigation, with Customs authorities examining the circumstances surrounding the attempted import of the gold and its concealment.
–IANS
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