Gujarat: Gold valued at Rs 36.89 lakh found at Surat Airport
Surat, June 15 (IANS) Customs officials at Surat International Airport have seized 238 grams of concealed 24-carat gold worth approximately Rs 36.89 lakh after it was discovered hidden inside an abandoned gold-coated kada (bangle) recovered from a flight arriving from Dubai.
According to Ahmedabad Customs, the seizure was made during a rummaging operation conducted by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) in Surat, on board Air India Express flight IX-274 after it arrived from Dubai on June 14.
Officials said a black velvet pouch was found abandoned near the passenger seat 21B. Inside the pouch was a gold-coated kada with a silver-coloured outer finish, raising suspicion during inspection.
The ornament was subsequently examined by an approved valuer, who found that it contained concealed gold weighing 238 grams and of 24-carat purity.
The recovered gold has an estimated market value of Rs 36.89 lakh.
Customs authorities said no passenger came forward to claim ownership of the pouch or the concealed gold. As the recovered precious metal remained unclaimed, it was seized under the Customs Act, 1962.
The case adds to a series of recent interceptions of flights arriving from the Gulf region involving gold smuggling attempts.
Just two days earlier, Customs officers at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport recovered 24 foreign-origin gold biscuits weighing about 2.8 kg and valued at more than Rs 4.26 crore after they were found concealed inside a speaker box in an aircraft lavatory on a Dubai-Ahmedabad flight.
The gold was seized after no claimant emerged, and an investigation into the smuggling attempt was launched.
In another recent case highlighted by Customs authorities, officers at Ahmedabad airport intercepted a passenger arriving from Dubai and recovered 601.9 grams of 24-carat gold valued at about Rs 96 lakh, including gold concealed in paste form inside undergarments.
The seizure formed part of a broader crackdown on smuggling through international air routes. Officials have not disclosed whether the abandoned kada recovered at Surat airport is linked to any organised smuggling network.
Further investigation is underway to establish the ownership and intended recipient of the concealed gold.
–IANS
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