Surat: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) thwarted a gold smuggling attempt at the Surat international airport on Sunday and seized 28kg of gold paste, which two passengers from Dubai had allegedly concealed on their bodies. The paste is estimated to contain 23kg of gold, worth about Rs 23 lakh. The customs department is yet to declare the exact amount of gold recovered and its value. After the arrival of Air India Flight IX-174 from Dubai, a CISF soldier monitoring the international arrivals area got suspicious of two passengers who had disembarked at about 10pm. Their unusual behaviour prompted the CISF vigilance team to conduct a thorough examination of their belongings. Working with customs officers, the CISF team discovered the gold paste, ingeniously concealed on the bodies of the two individuals. The gold paste method is commonly used by smugglers to evade detection. Customs officials launched an investigation to uncover the broader network behind this smuggling attempt. The identities of the passengers have not been disclosed as the investigation is ongoing. The accused will likely be produced in court on Tuesday. The process to recover the gold from the paste is underway.
