₹1.13 Crore Gold Smuggling Racket Busted at Ahmedabad Airport: Tour Operator Arrested for Using Passengers as Mules

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs has arrested a male tour operator after intercepting an attempt to smuggle 24-carat gold worth ₹1.13 crore from Abu Dhabi into Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Acting on specific intelligence, officers launched an operation on July 21 and intercepted the accused alongside his client passengers shortly after Etihad Airways Flight 3L111 landed in the city.

Concealed in Pockets: Modus Operandi Exposed

During a detailed search, Customs officials recovered 24-carat gold chains, pendants, and beads weighing a net total of 770.33 grams. The precious metal, valued at ₹1.13 crore, was found hidden inside the passengers' pockets in a bid to bypass inspection and evade import duties.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the tour operator allegedly handed the gold consignment to his clients before they arrived in India, giving them instructions to pass through Customs without making a formal declaration. Officials suspect the tour operator exploited his passengers, using them as carriers for the clandestine operation.

Seizure under Customs Act and Broader Probe

Customs authorities seized the entire gold consignment under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and placed the tour operator under arrest.

Investigating agencies have now widened their probe to trace the original source of the gold in Abu Dhabi and identify the intended recipients waiting in India. Officials are scrutinising the financial transactions, travel history, and communication records of both the operator and the passengers to establish whether they are tied to a larger organised syndicate running the Abu Dhabi–Ahmedabad smuggling corridor.

Further enquiries are currently underway to uncover if the accused had orchestrated similar smuggling runs in the past using other passengers.