File Photo: Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi (Agence France-Presse)
In one of the biggest seizures, customs officials today seized about 10 kg of gold worth over Rs 2.5 crore being smuggled into the country at India Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi.
Two people, including a Chartered Accountant, have been arrested in three cases of gold smuggling.
In the first incident, customs officials recovered over four kg of gold from a dustbin kept in the toilet of a Qatar airways plane.
"The flight arrived early morning today from Doha and while rummaging of the aircraft, 4.2 kg of unclaimed gold was recovered," said Vinayak Azaad, Additional Commissioner of Customs at the airport.
The recovered gold is in form of 36 gold bars and valued at about Rs 1.09 crore, he said.
In another case, two Delhi-based persons - a Chartered Accountant and a lawyer, were intercepted by the Customs after their arrival from Dubai.
They were carrying gold 2.635 kg and 740 gm respectively, hidden in rods and couplings of trolley bags, the official said.
"The CA had taken a loan of Rs 1.5 cr from a bank, out of which, he spent Rs 60 lakh for gold smuggling," Azaad said.
In third instance, a Turkish passenger has been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle in 2.6 kg of gold.
He had arrived from Istanbul and hid gold in belt buckles and wheels of trolley bag, Mr Azaad said.
In all these cases, about 10 kg of gold worth Rs 2.64 crore has been seized.
It is one of the bigeest seizures of the yellow metal in recent times.
Mr Azaad said the Turkish passenger and the CA have been arrested while the customs authorities are trying to find out the owner of the gold recovered from the Qatar airways plane.