The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has arrested two travellers at Bengaluru International Airport after allegedly intercepting an attempt to smuggle 1,200.40 grams of gold by attaching packets containing gold biscuits to the underside of passenger baggage trolleys.
The two passengers had arrived from Kuala Lumpur, officials said on Friday. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers monitored their movements after arrival and observed them placing the packets beneath baggage trolleys before moving away from them.
The seized gold consisted of 12 biscuits with a fineness of 999.9, or 24 karat, and was valued at Rs 1,78,88,360, according to the agency. DRI also seized the concealment material and the baggage trolleys used in the operation.
According to the agency, the method was intended to prevent the passengers from carrying the smuggled gold through customs checks themselves. The suspects allegedly planned to allow unsuspecting passengers to use the trolleys to move their luggage out of the customs area, after which they would follow and monitor the trolleys and retrieve the hidden 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 in a statement.
The agency described the method as a “new and unique modus operandi” uncovered during the operation. Unlike conventional concealment attempts, the alleged method used a shared airport facility and depended on the trolleys being moved beyond the customs area by other passengers.
The incident places baggage trolleys, which are routinely handled by passengers across arrival areas, at the centre of a smuggling investigation. The available details do not indicate whether any passenger unknowingly transported a trolley containing the concealed gold beyond the customs zone before the seizure.
The names of the arrested passengers were not disclosed. DRI sources said the agency was continuing its investigation to identify the wider network involved in the alleged racket. The agency has not publicly detailed how the specific intelligence was received or whether additional arrests are expected.
The seizure follows the interception of the two packets during the surveillance operation. Further action in the case will depend on the ongoing investigation into the passengers, the intended recovery process and any other persons linked to the alleged smuggling network.
