In the first case reported on Monday, a passenger had handed over about 23 gold bars, weighing about 2.6 kg, to an employee of Indigo airlines in its office within the airport's premises
Customs at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport have arrested three men, including an airline official, and recovered illegal gold and saffron worth Rs 1 crore, in two different cases.
According to senior officers, in the first case reported on Monday, a passenger had handed over about 23 gold bars, weighing about 2.6 kg, to an employee of Indigo airlines in its office within the airport's premises.
The airline employee, who had received the gold bars in a bathroom, was arrested by vigilant customs sleuths when he had crossed green channel trying to exit the airport terminal.
Along with the airline man and the smuggler, another person who was waiting outside the airport to receive the smuggled gold, was also arrested by Customs officials.
Officials said that the gold bars which have been seized are worth Rs 71.05 lakh, adding that both the accused have been arrested, while the one who handed over the gold is being identified.
They said interrogations revealed that the accused persons had in the past also smuggled gold worth Rs 37.05 lakh using the same modus operandi.
The total value of the gold smuggled in this case is Rs 1.08 crore.In another case, a passenger has been arrested for trying to smuggle gold and saffron worth about Rs 45.67 lakh out of the country.
The 27-year-old accused was travelling from Dubai to Bangkok via Delhi. He was intercepted by the customs officials on Tuesday. It was during examination of his hand baggage, 1.5 kg of gold which was ingeniously concealed in the form of stirrup of the bag and three kg of saffron were recovered.
The market value of the gold is Rs 42.67 lakh and that of saffron is Rs 3 lakh, they said, adding that the passenger has been arrested and the goods seized.
SMUGGLERS HELD
In the first case, in which an airline official was also involved, the gold bars seized were worth Rs 71.05 lakh.
In the other, a man had tried to smuggle gold and saffron worth Rs 45.67 lakh from the country.
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