In yet another incident of gold being smuggled into India through the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here, Customs officials seized about 1.5 kg of gold bars worth ₹43 lakh from two passengers.

The passengers, Abdul Nassar of Kerala and Gulam Jilani of Hyderabad, landed at the airport on a Dubai flight.

After being intercepted by Customs officials, the gold was found hidden inside car speakers, talcum powder tins and cream boxes.

It was only about two weeks ago that Customs officials seized 2 kg of gold bars worth over ₹50 lakh from a passenger who arrived here on a Qatar Airways flight. The passenger, Abdulkhader Mohammed Haneefa, had hidden the gold bars in a handbag.

The airport has seen an alarming rise in gold smuggling cases after the Reserve Bank of India tightened gold import norms that has made imported gold cheaper than the price of the yellow metal locally. It is estimated that nearly 50 kg of gold in different forms such as biscuits, bars and bracelets have been seized from 75 passengers in different incidents in the last five months.

There have been incidents of passengers trying to hide the gold in their shoe soles, inner wear and in the rectangular pipes of a suitcase base.

Customs and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials here get vital information from officers posted in Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia and other cities on gold purchases of more than 10 kg.

Based on intelligent profiling, the officers of the Customs Air Intelligence Unit intercept suspicious passengers. Intelligent profiling of passengers includes studying their behavioural patters, passport details, travelling frequency and detailed examination of their baggage.

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