Ahmedabad: Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport on Thursday seized two 24kt gold bars weighing a total of 233g from a woman passenger who allegedly concealed the precious metal inside her clothing after arriving from Abu Dhabi.The seized gold, valued at around Rs 34.3 lakh in the local market, was intercepted by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad customs following passenger profiling.According to a customs department release, the woman arrived at Ahmedabad International Airport from Abu Dhabi on Thursday. “The passenger was found to have concealed two 24kt gold TT bars, weighing a total of 233 grams, inside her clothing (burqa) with the intent to evade customs duty,” the official release stated.The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and further investigation was initiated to determine whether the passenger was acting alone or was part of a larger smuggling network. Officials are also examining whether she has any history of similar offences.Customs authorities at Ahmedabad airport have detected several attempts to smuggle gold in recent years, with carriers adopting innovative concealment methods. In previous cases, passengers have tried to evade detection by hiding gold in the lining of suitcases, electronic items and personal belongings, or by wearing jewellery and other gold articles while travelling.
