Gold worth ₹1.52 crore seized from 4 women arriving from Jeddah at Ahmedabad airport

Officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs have seized 24-carat gold weighing 945.57 grams, with a market value of ₹1.52 crore, from four female passengers who arrived from Jeddah on February 1, officials said.

The seizure was made after customs officers noticed suspicious images during baggage scanning of passengers arriving by Akasa Air flight QP 564 from Jeddah. Based on the alerts, the AIU team conducted a detailed examination of a group of passengers, leading to the recovery of the contraband.

During the checks, officers found that the four women had collectively concealed seven gold chains and seven gold bangles, all rhodium-coated to disguise their appearance and evade detection. The jewellery, which was confirmed to be of 24-carat purity, weighed a total of 945.57 grams and was valued at ₹1.52 crore, officials said.

Preliminary questioning revealed that the gold had allegedly been handed over to the passengers by a travel agent, who was also travelling with the group. Customs officials are now probing the role of the agent and examining whether the incident is linked to an organised gold-smuggling racket operating along the West Asia–India air route.

The seized gold has been confiscated under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the source of the gold, the intended recipients in India, and the possible involvement of other intermediaries, officials added.