New Delhi, Feb 8 (PTI) Customs officials on Saturday seized gold worth Rs 77 lakh concealed inside mixer grinders at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here in two separate cases, officials said.

The passengers in both the cases arrived from Riyadh on different flights. The authorities suspect that similarities in concealment technique and travel route indicate a potential pattern in gold smuggling from Riyadh to Delhi.

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On the basis of spot profiling, a female Indian passenger aged 58, travelling from Riyadh to Delhi, was intercepted at the exit of the Green Channel, the Customs said in a statement.

"During X-ray scanning of her baggage, suspicious images were observed, prompting a detailed examination. Upon thorough physical inspection of the baggage, one yellow metal cut piece weighing 466.00 gm was found concealed inside a hand mixer," the statement said.

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The method of concealment suggested an attempt to bypass the standard detection measures, likely intended to evade Customs duty and smuggle precious metal into the country, it added.

The recovered metal piece has been seized, and further investigation is being conducted to establish the passenger's intent, sources of procurement, and possible involvement with a larger smuggling network, it said.

In another instance, a male Indian passenger aged 42, also arriving from Riyadh, was intercepted based on spot profiling at the exit of the Green Channel.

"As part of standard procedures, the passenger's baggage was subjected to X-ray scanning, which revealed suspicious images. A detailed baggage examination led to the discovery of one yellow metal cut piece weighing 427.00 gm, skillfully hidden inside a hand mixer," the Customs said in the statement.

The recovered items have been seized, and further inquiries are underway to determine the passengers' background, previous travel history, and possible links to organised smuggling syndicates, it said.

The total seized gold weighing 893 gm is valued at Rs 77 lakh, the statement said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)