In a significant crackdown at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), customs officials have apprehended eight passengers engaged in illegal smuggling activities, seizing a substantial haul of gold, electronic equipment, liquor, and a substantial quantity of cigarettes.
The operation resulted in the confiscation of gold ornaments worth millions of rupees, which were being illicitly traded. In two separate incidents, customs officials intercepted passengers attempting to smuggle mobile phones, laptops, foreign liquor, and cigarettes, subsequently arresting and interrogating them.
Two passengers arriving from Colombo, Sri Lanka, drew suspicion from customs officials, leading to their interrogation. It was discovered that these passengers had ingeniously concealed gold powder using adhesives in their pants, totaling 74.54 grams in weight. In another case, a passenger was found carrying gold in a pasty form hidden in their anus, with a total weight of 155.30 grams.
Furthermore, eight passengers arriving from Sharjah to Bangalore were detained by air customs officers, and upon investigation, authorities uncovered 21 laptops, 15 mobile phones, and 7,000 foreign cigarettes in their possession. Notably, one female passenger was found with foreign cigarettes among her belongings.
In yet another significant seizure, customs officials detained four passengers who had arrived from Dubai to Bangalore. A thorough interrogation revealed that these passengers had been transporting 2.6 kilograms of gold cleverly disguised as biscuits within their bags. Collectively, the seizures from the Dubai and Sri Lanka cases amounted to a staggering 3 kilograms of gold, valued at approximately 1.77 crores.
