Arrests at Delhi airport after gold and cigarette haul

Customs recovered gold, some of which was concealed in the bodies and cigarettes worth Rs 1.79 crore at Delhi airport. Six people have been arrested.

New Delhi: Customs officials arrested six people at the international airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle gold into the country, some of which was concealed in their bodies, and cigarettes worth Rs 1.79 crore, an official statement issued on Sunday said.

Ten passengers were intercepted by the officers after their arrival from Dubai on Friday, the statement issued by the Customs (preventive) said.

"Detailed search of their baggage led to the recovery of foreign origin cigarettes of various brands such as Esse Light/Gold Special, Pine, Dunhill Switch, Gold Flake, Benson & Hedges Blue Gold etc. totalling to 7.52 lakh sticks and valued at around Rs 1.15 crore," it said.

Further, a search of the said passengers led to the recovery of gold paste from which 1.26 kg of gold worth around Rs 64 lakh has been recovered, it said, adding that "the same was concealed by them on and in their bodies".

According to the statement, both cigarettes and gold have been seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

"The total value of seizure comes out to be Rs 1.79 crore," the statement said.

These passengers also admitted to have smuggled in around 18 lakh sticks of foreign origin cigarettes worth around Rs 2.41 crore in the past, it said.

"Thus, the total offence value, including previous offences, comes out to be around Rs 4.20 crores," it added.

So far, six arrests have been made in the case, the statement said.

Late last month, customs (preventive) officials at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here had seized foreign origin cigarettes worth Rs 1.24 crore, among other things, from nine Afghanistani men.

PTI