Surat

Customs authorities at Surat airport in Gujarat caught a young man trying to smuggle gold hidden in his belt buckle. The unusually shiny belt raised suspicion during a routine check. Officers found 150 grams of gold worth around Rs 11 lakh, sources reported. The man was arrested, and legal proceedings have started.

This is not an isolated incident. Flights from Sharjah and Dubai have led to a rise in gold smuggling at Surat airport. Despite increased security by Customs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Reserve Police Force, and local police, smugglers still find ways to evade detection, sources added.

On July 9, the Special Operation Group busted a gold smuggling ring, arresting four people, including a husband-wife duo, who smuggled 927 grams of gold worth Rs 65 lakh from Dubai to Surat airport. Naeem Saleh and his wife, Umaima, were arrested outside a hotel in the Jahangirpura area, along with two accomplices who came to collect the smuggled gold.