The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested two travellers at Bengaluru International Airport after allegedly intercepting an attempt to smuggle 1.2 kg of gold by attaching packets containing gold biscuits to the underside of passenger baggage trolleys, officials said on Friday.
The two passengers had arrived from Kuala Lumpur earlier this week. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials monitored them after their arrival and observed them placing the packets under baggage trolleys before moving away, the agency said in a statement. The passengers were later arrested, while the concealed gold, the packing material and the baggage trolleys were seized.
According to the DRI, the method was designed to avoid carrying the smuggled gold through customs checks. The passengers allegedly intended to let unsuspecting travellers use the trolleys to move their luggage out of the customs area, after which they would follow and monitor the trolleys and retrieve the concealed packets.
“During the course of surveillance, the passengers were observed sticking packets containing gold to the underside of baggage trolleys and thereafter moving away from the trolleys,” the DRI said. The agency described the method as a “new and unique modus operandi” uncovered during the operation.
Officials recovered 12 gold biscuits concealed in two packets. The gold was found to have a fineness of 999.9, equivalent to 24-karat gold, and weighed 1,200.40 grams. The DRI valued the seized gold at Rs 1,78,88,360.
The case highlights how airport security arrangements extend beyond screening passengers and their personal baggage. The baggage trolley system is used continuously by arriving passengers as they move between aircraft arrival areas, customs facilities and airport exits. In this case, investigators said the alleged concealment method relied on the movement of ordinary passengers and airport equipment beyond the customs area.
The DRI did not disclose the names of the two passengers, citing the need to investigate the wider network involved in the alleged smuggling operation. The agency said the passengers appeared to be tracking the movement of the trolleys and the unsuspecting people using them, with the intention of recovering the gold after the trolleys moved beyond customs checks.
The investigation will now focus on identifying other people connected with the alleged operation and determining how the concealed gold was intended to be retrieved. The DRI has not provided further details about the suspected network or the next legal steps in the case.
