The rise in gold prices is likely to have prompted an increase in the cases of gold smuggling from the airports. In one such case, the Ahmedabad crime branch busted a smuggled gold consignment amounting to ₹49 lakh, with a unique modus operandi altogether.

The smugglers were converting the gold into chemical powder to evade the scanners at the airport.

The city crime branch was acting on a tip-off about the gold smuggling at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, from a flight coming from Dubai. Near the Shahibag cemetery, the crime branch intercepted five people, who were in possession of 700 gm of gold ‘powder’, amounting to ₹49 lakh.

The names of the accused were revealed to be Anant Shah, Navaghan Thakor, and Nilesh Desai of Vasna. The other two accused, from Junagadh, were Kalyan Patel and Ashish Kukadia.

Police inspector SJ Jadeja stated that the main accused, Anant Shah, deals with real estate and gold trading. He used to smuggle gold from Dubai-Sharjah by converting it into chemical powder.

Ashish Kukdia was his carrier this time. However, there have been cases of carriers running away with the gold from the airport, so others were accompanying him, keeping a watch.

A carrier was paid ₹50,000 for a single such trip.

As the gold converted into powder would not be detected by the scanners at the airport. It was brought in by hiding in the ring in the underwear, with a medical tape.

The crime branch revealed that Anant Shah has smuggled gold with this modus operandi for over 12 times. Therefore, he could have smuggled the gold amounting to approximately ₹6 crore till now.

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