The Delhi Customs Preventive, New Customs House, seized 27 gold bars weighing more than 3 kg worth Rs. 1.96 crore from two foreign nationals at the Indira Gandhi International Airport yesterday.

On the basis of profiling, the officers of Delhi Customs Preventive booked a case of smuggling of gold yesterday by two Uzbek nationals — Ms. Zamirakhon Kabirova and Ms. Makhpirakhon Mamatkhodjaeva.

The passengers arrived at Domestic Terminal, T-1, IGI Airport on Thursday by Indigo flight no. 6E 6281 from Lucknow to Delhi after landing at Lucknow from Sharjah in the early hours. Customs officers intercepted the two passengers when they approached the exit gate of Arrival hall, Terminal-1, IGI Airport, New Delhi. On searching the baggage and examining the passengers for body concealment, 27 gold bars weighing a total of 3,150 grams valued approximately at Rs 1.96 crore were recovered from them.

The recovered gold bars have been seized under Section 110 of Customs Act, 1962 on the reasonable belief that the same are liable for confiscation under Section 111 of the Customs Act, 1962. The passengers have been placed under arrest today in terms of Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962.

Further investigation in the case is under progress.

Customs seizure of smuggled gold at airport leads to arrests and invocation of confiscation and arrest provisions. Seizure of undeclared gold at an international airport after profiling and searches led to recovery of multiple gold bars; the items were seized on reasonable belief of confiscation liability and the passengers were arrested under customs provisions, with further investigation ongoing.