Gold was confiscated from 15 international passengers arriving at KIA

Customs seized a total of 3.31 kg of gold valued at over Rs 2 crore

In largest single-day seizure 1.9 kg of gold was seized from four passengers

The Air Intelligence Unit of Airport Customs at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) seized a total of 3.31 kg of gold valued at over Rs 2 crore.

The gold was confiscated from 15 international passengers arriving at KIA from various cities over a five-day period.

Customs sources revealed that the gold was predominantly concealed within the clothing worn by the passengers and was being smuggled in crude form from Kuala Lumpur, Jeddah, Sharjah, and Bangkok to Bengaluru. Below are the details on seizures:

1. The largest single-day seizure occurred on December 28, with 1.9 kg of gold seized from four male passengers, two of whom arrived from Bangkok via Thai Airways International. The two passengers from Bangkok, both Navi Mumbai natives, concealed crude gold chains valued at 734gm each, with one hiding it in a handkerchief and the other in his pocket.
2. Another passenger from Coimbatore arrived on the same day, concealing three crude gold chains totaling 200gm within his undergarments, having arrived on a Batik Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur.
3. Also on December 28, a passenger from Sharjah, Venkateswaralu Katuru from Andhra Pradesh, attempted to bring in two gold bars weighing 233 gm inside a secret pocket in his jeans, arriving on an Air Arabia flight.
4. On December 26, ten women flyers from Shivamogga, accompanied by a male passenger, were caught concealing crude gold chains under their burqas after returning from Hajj pilgrimage via a Saudia flight (SV 866) to KIA. Irshad Ahmad Khan, a travel agent, had provided 10 crude chains, one to each woman passenger, at Jeddah airport, with a total value of 1.16 kg.
5. Another flyer was apprehended on December 24 for concealing two packets containing gold in paste form, stitched inside his pair of socks, with a total value of Rs 15.88 lakh and weight of 248.27 gm.