Gold worth Rs 96.75 lakh seized at Amritsar airport

The Customs Department at the Amritsar international airport foiled a significant gold smuggling attempt, seizing nearly one kilogram of gold from two passengers. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Customs officials intercepted the two passengers, who had arrived from Kolkata on IndiGo flight 6E 201.

According to officials, a total of 968.47 grams of gold, valued at approximately Rs 96.75 lakh, was recovered from the two passengers. The gold was cleverly concealed to avoid detection, but alert Customs staff detained the suspects on suspicion and carried out a detailed search.

During interrogation, the passengers failed to provide any credible explanation regarding the origin of the seized gold. Authorities suspect that the smugglers are linked to a larger organised smuggling network that is exploiting domestic flight routes to avoid stringent checks commonly applied on international passengers.

Both passengers are currently being interrogated as officials attempt to trace the source and potential handlers of the gold consignment. The Customs Department has registered a formal case under relevant sections and seized the gold under existing regulations.

Officials confirmed that as per government protocols, the confiscated gold will be deposited in the national treasury and further legal proceedings will follow.

Investigations are underway to determine whether the accused have previously been involved in similar smuggling activities. Authorities are also exploring the possibility of a wider smuggling racket operating on domestic flight routes to bypass detection.

Amritsar