New Delhi: The custom officials in Kolkata seized about 600 grams of gold bars from a SpiceJet flight at the Netaji Shubash Chandra International airport on Tuesday.
The custom officials made the seizure from flight No SG – 743. Twelve cut pieces of gold bars were found wrapped in black adhesive tapes. The recoveries were made while rummaging through the plane when it landed at Kolkata airport from Bangkok.
The seizures has blown the lid on the conspiracy to sneak in the gold bars in the country, bypassing security checks. The accused adopted a unique approach to smuggle the gold bars but the alertness of custom officials foiled their plan. The gold bars were hidden inside the aircraft where the smugglers hid the bullion below a seat in the 20th row (D,E,F).
The gold bars are worth Rs 30 lakh in the international markets. Interestingly, no one has come forward to claim ownership of these gold bars as any enquiry will land them in soup for alleged smuggling of gold into the country.
Modus operandi of smugglers startles sleuths
The identity of those trying to smuggle 600 grams of gold is yet to be known, however their clandestine modus operandi has startled everyone.
They had concealed the gold bars, weighing 600 grams deep inside the hollow pipe of aircraft’s seat. These gold bars were wrapped in black adhesive tapes and were sneaked into the seat pipe in the 20th (D,E,F) seating row of the aircraft.
No one has been arrested in the case so far, the officials told press. A detailed investigation has been launched to find out the culprits.
Not the first instance, Gold hidden in frame of trolley bags
This is not a one-off incident of sneaking in gold in the country by adopting ingenious ways. Previously also, passengers have tried to hide gold biscuits in shoes or even inside their body, to escape the prying eyes of customs.
Last year, a similar seizure was made at Delhi airport where an Indian passenger sought to clandestinely smuggle the gold wires worth Rs 32 lakh, by hiding it inside the frame of trolley bags but he was caught.
Based on suspicion, Delhi Airport Customs intercepted an Indian pax on 26/03/21 who arrived by Flight SG137 from Dubai & recovered 798gm silver coated gold wires (valued at 32.13 lakh) concealed in frame of trolley bags. Pax was arrested u/s 104 of Customs Act. pic.twitter.com/WY019CHQyk
— Delhi Customs (@Delhicustoms) March 27, 2021
