Ahmedabad Customs foil bid by Dubai flier to smuggle gold hidden in trolley bag wheels

Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA), Ahmedabad, on Tuesday intercepted a passenger arriving from Dubai and seized 152 grams of 24 karat gold worth nearly ₹16 lakh, concealed ingeniously inside the wheels of his trolley bag.

According to officials, the seizure was carried out following passenger profiling by officers of Ahmedabad Customs. The male passenger had landed on FlyDubai flight FZ 437. On checking his baggage, officers noticed irregularities in the structure of the trolley bag. A detailed examination revealed cylindrical-shaped solid pieces of gold carefully hidden inside the hollow sections of the bag’s wheels.

“The concealment was designed in a way to avoid detection by routine checks. The smuggled gold was cut into cylindrical shapes and embedded in the wheels, a method increasingly being used by couriers to exploit unsuspected parts of baggage,” an officer said.

Officials noted that this modus operandi reflects a growing trend where smugglers adapt techniques to bypass scanners and visual checks. Gold has previously been found hidden in the handles of bags, under garment linings, and inside electronic items. The use of trolley wheels, however, is considered particularly challenging to detect without dismantling.

The seized gold, valued at approximately ₹16 lakh in the domestic market, was confiscated under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. The passenger has been detained, and further investigation is underway to ascertain whether he was acting as a courier for a larger smuggling syndicate.

Customs officials said the seizure underscores the vigilance being maintained at Ahmedabad airport amid a surge in attempts to smuggle gold from Gulf countries into India. With gold prices continuing to remain high, authorities suspect organised syndicates are recruiting carriers to smuggle smaller consignments using innovative concealment techniques.