Ahmedabad Customs seize gold worth ₹17 lakh concealed in passenger’s mouth

Officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs seized 24-carat gold weighing 108.07 grams, valued at ₹17.39 lakh, from a passenger arriving from Bangkok, officials said on Sunday.

The seizure was made on February 1 following the interception of a male passenger who had landed at Ahmedabad airport late on January 31 on Vietjet Air flight VZ 750 from Bangkok. Customs officials said the passenger was stopped based on specific profiling inputs developed by the AIU.

During a detailed examination, officers found that the passenger had concealed four capsule-shaped gold bars, each wrapped in black adhesive tape, inside his mouth in an attempt to evade detection. The gold was found to be of 999.0 purity, confirming it as 24-carat gold.

The contraband, with a total weight of 108.07 grams and an estimated market value of ₹17.39 lakhwas seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

Officials said such methods of concealment pose serious health risks to carriers and are increasingly being used to bypass airport security and customs checks. The identity of the passenger has not been disclosed as further investigation is underway.

Authorities are now probing the source of the gold, the intended recipients, and whether the passenger is linked to a larger smuggling network operating across international routes. Further action will be initiated based on the outcome of the investigation, officials added.