Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Delhi Customs seized 12.86 kg of suspected marijuana, valued at approximately 4.5 crore, from an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi.
According to Delhi Customs (Airport & General), officers intercepted the passenger on October 6, 2026, based on profiling, when he arrived on flight AI-2335 at Terminal 3.
Customs officers diverted the passenger at the Green Channel for examination. A search of his metallic silver trolley bag led to the recovery of 13 polythene pouches containing suspected ganja or marijuana. The substance weighed 12,859.5 grams (net weight) and was valued at approximately 4.5 crore.
advertisement
Customs arrested the passenger under Section 43(B) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and seized the substance under Section 43(A). Officials booked the case under Sections 8, 20, 23 and 29 of the NDPS Act.
The seizure comes amid other cases involving alleged gold smuggling at major Indian airports, including Bengaluru and Mumbai.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a smuggling operation at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport and seized 1.3 kg of gold biscuits worth 1.8 crore on Friday.
The network allegedly targeted unsuspecting passengers to transport smuggled gold past Customs without their knowledge.
According to the details provided, two accused allegedly brought the gold from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital. They would conceal the gold biscuits by sticking them under luggage trolleys before following passengers and retrieving the gold. The alleged operation thus used travellers as unwitting mules to move the contraband.
DRI officials seized the gold biscuits based on specific information. The investigation is expected to focus on the smuggling network and the modus operandi used to transport the gold.
Passenger allegedly found with gold paste in shoes at Mumbai airport
In a separate incident, a passenger was allegedly found concealing more than 300 grams of gold paste in his footwear after arriving at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
Officials cited by news agency PTI said the incident took place on the evening of October 6 at Terminal 2. The gold was estimated to be worth 37 lakh.
The passenger was undergoing security checks for his onward domestic journey to Jaipur when Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel asked him to place his shoes in the X-ray machine.
The screening subsequently revealed 319 grams of gold paste concealed in the soles of his shoes.
The three incidents involve suspected marijuana trafficking and alleged gold-smuggling activities detected at airports in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. The cases highlight different methods allegedly used to transport contraband through airports, ranging from concealing substances in luggage to hiding gold in footwear and using unsuspecting passengers to move smuggled gold.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
