Bengaluru couple caught smuggling Rs 1.9 crore gold paste using their children; Bizarre details inside
smuggle gold worth Rs 1.9 crore from Dubai to Bengaluru, a couple used their two small children as a cover, pretending to return from a family tour to the Gulf. The incident happened at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru when a team from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) received a specific tipoff.
The couple, a 36-year-old man and his 33-year-old wife, accompanied by their eight-year-old daughter and two-year-old son, were intercepted upon getting off an Emirates airlines flight.
DRI officials, including women officers, noticed something unusual during the frisking process. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the couple had hidden 3.8kg of gold paste in specially stitched and padded undergarments.
The gold paste, valued at Rs 1.9 crore, was seized, and further investigation confirmed its worth after solidification.
The couple was arrested for gold smuggling and Customs duty evasion upon landing in India. Their children, who were unwittingly used as a cover for the illegal act, were handed over to their legal guardian.
Authorities revealed that this method of involving family members, particularly children, in gold smuggling is a new trend at Bengaluru Airport.
Similar cases have been reported in recent months, indicating a shift in the modus operandi of smugglers. In one instance on January 4, Customs officials nabbed 12 passengers, including 11 women, who collectively smuggled in 2.08kg of gold worth Rs 1.3 crore.
The group, which included children and the elderly, had arrived at KIA from a Saudia flight from Madinah via Muscat.
Inputs from TOI
