In a significant bust in southern India's Tamil Nadu, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) intercepted a passenger attempting to smuggle gold in paste form and a gold chain concealed in his clothes.


The incident took place at Tiruchirappalli International Airport in Tiruchirappalli District on May 29.


Visuals showed custom officials were extracting hidden gold from a passenger's knee caps and discovered a significant amount of gold concealed inside.


The operation took place in the early hours of May 29, 2024, when the passenger arrived on Scoot Airlines flight TR562 from Singapore. Acting on specific intelligence, AIU officers conducted a thorough search of the passenger, leading to the discovery of gold paste concealed under knee caps worn around his thighs and a 24K gold chain hidden within his clothes.


Upon extraction, the gold paste, combined with the chain, yielded a total of 1.424 kg of pure gold. The market value of the seized gold is estimated at Rs. 1.03 crore (USD 125,610).


Authorities have initiated a detailed investigation into the incident to uncover potential links to larger smuggling networks. The successful operation highlights the vigilance and effectiveness of customs officials at Trichy Airport in combating gold smuggling activities.


Further details of the investigation are awaited as the probe continues.