In what is described a movie-like smuggling attempt, customs officials at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Gujarat have seized gold worth more than Rs 4.26 crore that was ingeniously concealed inside a speaker box in an aircraft’s toilet.
According to reports by ANI, the seizure was made after IndiGo flight 6E-1478 arrived from Dubai. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, customs authorities carried out a detailed inspection of the aircraft with the assistance of aircraft engineers.
During the inspection, officials discovered two black plastic-wrapped pouches hidden inside a speaker unit located in the aircraft’s front toilet. Upon examination, the pouches were found to contain 24 foreign-origin gold biscuits of 999.0 purity (24 carat), weighing a total of 2,799.3 grams.
Authorities estimated the value of the recovered gold at Rs 4,26,89,325 in the domestic market. Officials told reporters that the smuggled consignment was likely intended to be retrieved later by a passenger or ground staff member after being secretly left inside the aircraft structure.
However, the plan reportedly failed, as heightened vigilance and inspection prevented any retrieval attempt, and no individual came forward to claim the gold. Investigations into the smuggling attempt are currently underway.
