An incident at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad has highlighted the notion of honesty and citizen’s responsibility towards the country.

Due to the alertness and honesty of the cleaning staff, 750 grams of gold was found in the bathroom and seized.

Dinesh Garwa, a cleaner at Ahmedabad’s SVPI airport, was busy with his regular cleaning duty. While cleaning the men’s restroom, his attention was drawn to a suspicious packet found in the dustbin.

Though the packet appeared empty, it felt unusually heavy, strengthening his suspicion that something was wrong.

He decided to open the packet to resolve his doubts. Upon opening it, he found several carefully packed, sealed packets inside.

Garwa promptly informed his supervisor and the customs officials. Upon inspecting the packet, customs officials found 750 grams of pure gold paste. 

The estimated value of the gold is around ₹5.5 million (55 lakhs). Talking about the incident, Garwa said, “I was just doing my duty. When the dustbin felt unusually heavy, I grew suspicious.”

An investigation has begun to determine who hid the 750 grams of gold in the restroom dustbin, to whom it was supposed to be delivered, and who else might be involved. Following this incident, surveillance has been increased in every possible place smugglers might hide gold.

Modus operandi

Smugglers often use the help of carriers. These carriers mainly bring gold from Dubai or Bangkok. In exchange for their services, the carriers are provided with flight tickets, accommodation, meals, and commissions.

They hide gold behind their knees, seal it inside luggage, or conceal it in undergarments, sanitary napkins, and private parts. If customs surveillance is high, they sometimes hide the gold in airport restrooms, where an accomplice can later retrieve it.

Over 500 kg of gold seized from the airport in the past 6 years

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Over 108 kg gold worth ₹681 cr seized at Ahmedabad Airport last year