Seizure at Ahmedabad Airport
Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad seized a 24-carat gold chain weighing 540 grams and valued at Rs 83,14,843 from a 31-year-old woman from Bhavnagar, as reported by Lokmat Times. The woman arrived from Sharjah on Air Arabia flight G9-418 on August 23.
The passenger was intercepted by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), Ahmedabad Customs, on the basis of passenger profiling. During examination, officers found that the gold chain was concealed inside the high-neck sweater she was wearing. 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, according to Lokmat Times. Further investigation is underway.
Context of Recent Gold Interceptions
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 43 grams of gold jewellery valued at about Rs 87 lakh. That jewellery, which included chains, necklaces, bracelets, a bangle, an anklet and earrings, was found concealed in her purse and beneath her clothes, as reported by Lokmat Times.
In another recent case, a woman arriving from Dubai was intercepted by the AIU 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 5 lakh. The jewellery was seized under the Customs Act.
Ahmedabad Customs has also reported larger recoveries this year. In February, officials seized 940 grams of 24-carat gold worth Rs 06 lakh from a passenger arriving from Dubai. The gold was found partly in the form of bars and partly concealed as gold paste, as per the report.
Investigation Underway
Customs officials are investigating whether the woman acted independently or as part of a larger network, as per Lokmat Times. Investigators are also trying to establish where the woman obtained the gold and whom she was to deliver it to after arriving in Ahmedabad.
The latest interception highlights the ongoing efforts by customs authorities to curb gold smuggling through the airport, though the specific outcomes of these investigations have not been detailed in the reports.