The seized 1.48 kg of foreign-origin gold at RGIA in Hyderabad.
A passenger travelling on the domestic leg of an international flight was arrested at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials found 1.48 kg of foreign-origin gold worth approximately ₹2.25 crore concealed beneath his clothes.
The passenger arrived in Hyderabad from Tiruchirappalli on a flight that had previously operated an international sector.
Based on specific intelligence, DRI’s Hyderabad Zonal Unit intercepted him at the airport and conducted a search.
Officials recovered six pieces of foreign-origin gold weighing a total of 1,481.780 grams. The gold was wrapped in blue adhesive tape and carbon paper and concealed inside a specially designed pouch worn beneath the passenger’s garments.
The investigation, however, pointed to an unusual method of moving the smuggled gold into Hyderabad. According to the DRI, the passenger stated that he had collected the consignment from inside the aircraft, where it had been concealed during the flight’s preceding international leg.
The intelligence developed by the agency indicated that the gold was placed aboard the aircraft after its arrival from a foreign destination. It was then allegedly intended to be retrieved during the aircraft’s onward domestic journey to Hyderabad by a passenger travelling on the same flight.
The six gold pieces, valued at approximately ₹2.25 crore, were seized under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
The passenger was arrested on October 6 under relevant provisions of the Act. Further investigation into the smuggling operation is under way.
Published – October 07, 2026 07:10 pm IST
