Devanahalli, Oct 9: Two individuals have been arrested at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport for attempting to smuggle gold biscuits by concealing them beneath luggage trolleys. Officials stated that the accused had arrived in Bengaluru from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
Acting on specific information, officers from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) kept a close watch on the two passengers upon their arrival. The DRI reported that the individuals were subsequently arrested, and the gold, the materials used to conceal it, and the luggage trolleys were seized.
Gold biscuits worth Rs.1.78 crore seized:
To evade customs screening, the accused had attempted to transport the gold by affixing packets containing the metal to the underside of luggage trolleys. They had devised a plan to retrieve the gold after the trolleys—which passengers typically use to transport their luggage—had cleared the customs inspection area. It is alleged that they had devised a novel and unique method to smuggle the gold out without subjecting it to mandatory customs inspection.
During the inspection, a total of 12 gold biscuits concealed in two packets were seized. The gold is of 999.9 purity—meaning 24-carat gold. Weighing a total of 1,200.40 grams, the consignment is valued at Rs.1,78,88,360. The DRI has not disclosed the names of the passengers involved in the case; however, the agency is investigating whether others are also involved in the smuggling network.