Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad seized gold worth more than Rs 4.26 crore that had been concealed inside a speaker box located in an aircraft lavatory. The recovery was made on Friday from an IndiGo flight, 6E-1478, which had arrived from Dubai. Authorities described the seizure as a significant blow to an alleged gold smuggling attempt involving a sophisticated concealment method.

According to customs officials, the operation was carried out after officers developed suspicion about possible contraband being transported on the aircraft. Acting on specific intelligence, customs personnel conducted a detailed inspection of the plane with assistance from aircraft engineers. During the search, attention was drawn to a wall-mounted speaker box installed in the front lavatory of the aircraft.

Officials discovered two pouches wrapped in black plastic tape hidden inside the speaker assembly. The speaker, which is typically used for inflight announcements and communication, had been partially dismantled to allow the contraband to be concealed behind its audio components. The hidden location was reportedly chosen to avoid detection during routine passenger screening and baggage checks.

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Upon examination, the pouches were found to contain 24 gold biscuits of foreign origin. Customs authorities said the biscuits were of 999.0 purity, equivalent to 24-carat gold, and weighed a combined 2,799.3 grams, or nearly 2.8 kilograms. Based on prevailing domestic market rates, the seized gold was valued at approximately Rs 4.26 crore.

Investigators believe the gold may have been hidden inside the aircraft for retrieval after landing by a domestic passenger, airport worker or another individual connected to the smuggling network. However, no person came forward to claim the consignment. Officials suspect that heightened security measures or fear of detection may have forced those involved to abandon the operation before the gold could be collected.

The recovered gold has been classified as unclaimed and confiscated under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Ahmedabad Customs has initiated a detailed investigation to identify the individuals responsible and determine how the contraband was placed inside the aircraft. Authorities are also examining possible links to larger smuggling networks operating on international routes between the Gulf region and India.

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