Couple returning from Jeddah held at Hyderabad airport with 1.1kg gold

HYDERABAD: Customs on Tuesday foiled a smuggling bid at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here when they seized over 1 kg gold from two passengers.

Based on specific intelligence, the Air Intelligence Unit officers seized 1,109 grams of gold of foreign origin valued at Rs 32.6 lakh from the couple who arrived at the international Airport on an Air India flight (AI 966) from Jeddah on Tuesday.

The city based-couple had hidden the gold in their socks strapping it with an adhesive tape.

“The duo strapped the gold items with tape then wore socks and shoes. They were told by smugglers in Jeddah that since many shoes contain metal objects, beeps from metal detectors would not be taken seriously by customs officials at the airports,” a customs department official said.
to Times of India.

Further investigation revealed that the had travelled back and forth from Hyderabad to Jeddah a few times.