DRI seizes 20kg gold worth ₹15 crore from 25 flyers Passengers Had Arrived From Singapore

DRI seizes 20kg gold worth ₹15 crore from 25 flyers Passengers Had Arrived From Singapore 

Venkadesan.S@timesofindia.com 12.11.2024 

Chennai : In a major haul after a hiatus at Chennai airport, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths seized nearly 20 kg gold from 25 flyers arriving from Singapore on three different flights in an overnight operation that lasted until the early hours of Monday. 

The seized gold, of 22 carat purity, is said to be worth ₹15 crore in the market, said DRI sources. Based on specific information, DRI sleuths at Chennai International Airport intercepted flyers arriving by Scoot Airways, Air India, and Indigo Airlines flights from Singapore. While the flights landed within a gap of 1-2 hours, the sleuths identified some passengers from all three flights carrying gold in pouches in their attire and detained them. Two carried gold weighing above 1kg, while others possessed gold up to 600g. In total, gold was seized from 25 passengers, including eight women. 

The flyers, engaged by different cartels, were handed over to Air Intelligence Unit of Chennai Customs for further investigation. Customs sleuths said the arrested would be let off on bail, since the quantity of gold seized was not big enough to remand them. The possibility of connivance of customs officers on duty is also being probed, as 25 flyers carried gold on the same night. Officials believe the smugglers may have switched to 22 carat gold as its cheaper in Singapore and would fetch smugglers more profit. This is the second biggest seizure of gold from flyers in one day after DRI busted a bid to smuggle 13 kg of gold (biscuit and paste), 200 new iPhones and Google phones worth ₹3.5 crore, besides cigarettes, refurbished laptops, and saffron worth ₹3.5 crore by a single flight from Muscat in Sept 2023.