Ahmedabad, July 7 (IANS) A woman arriving in Ahmedabad from Abu Dhabi was intercepted after Customs officers acting on passenger profiling intelligence allegedly found nearly 729 grams of undeclared gold jewellery worth Rs 98.78 lakh concealed inside her purse and beneath her clothing, officials said on Tuesday.

The seizure was made by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs after the passenger arrived at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) on IndiGo flight 6E-1432 from Abu Dhabi.

According to Customs officials, the interception followed intelligence developed through passenger profiling.

During a detailed examination, officers recovered gold jewellery, including bangles, necklaces, chains, an anklet, earrings, and rings.

Officials said 710.9 grams of the seized jewellery was certified as 22-carat gold with a purity of 916, while another 18.1 grams was 18-carat gold with a purity of 750.

The total quantity recovered was 729 grams, with an estimated market value of Rs 98,78,715.

“The jewellery was allegedly concealed inside the passenger’s handbag as well as worn beneath her garments in an attempt to evade Customs checks. The passenger is a resident of Hyderabad,” officials said.

They said the entire consignment has been seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

Authorities have not disclosed her identity, and further investigation is in progress to determine the source and intended destination of the gold.

The latest seizure comes amid a series of gold smuggling cases detected at Ahmedabad airport in recent months.

In June, Ahmedabad Customs recovered 2.799 kg of foreign-origin gold biscuits worth more than Rs 4.26 crore concealed inside a speaker box in the front lavatory of an IndiGo aircraft that had arrived from Dubai.

No claimant came forward, and the gold was seized as unclaimed property under the Customs Act.

Ahmedabad Customs has also detected other concealment methods in recent months, including rhodium-coated gold jewellery carried by four women arriving from Jeddah and gold hidden in modified baggage components, reflecting the evolving techniques smugglers use to evade detection.

–IANS

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