Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the International Departure area of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI Airport), Delhi, intercepted 85,000 UAE Dirham — valued at approximately ₹22.08 lakh — from a passenger bound for Dubai on 30 August 2025, officials said. The currency was found concealed inside the passenger's hand baggage following behavioural profiling by the Check-in Investigation Wing (CIW).

How the Detection Unfolded

CISF personnel flagged the passenger — travelling on FlyDubai flight FZ-442 — based on behavioural detection and profiling techniques deployed at the check-in stage. A subsequent detailed check of the passenger's hand baggage led to the recovery of the concealed foreign currency. The passenger was then handed over to Customs officials for further investigation and legal action.

The CISF stated that the interception underscored the vigilance and professional acumen of its personnel in preventing the unauthorised movement of valuables through aviation channels.

Part of a Pattern of Recent Seizures at IGI

This detection is the latest in a series of high-value recoveries at IGI Airport in recent weeks. On 20 August 2025, CISF personnel deployed at the Random X-BIS, ASG Delhi unit recovered unaccounted cash worth ₹68.53 lakh from two passengers travelling to Guwahati and onward to Agartala. That recovery followed behavioural observation and CCTV analysis, with the second passenger identified through surveillance footage. Both passengers, along with the cash and travel documents, were handed over to Income Tax officials.

Earlier, on 17 July 2025, CISF personnel at Terminal-1 of IGI Airport intercepted a passenger bound for Kolkata and recovered 1.210 kg of gold concealed in his clothing, along with ₹1,97,200 in unaccounted cash. The passenger had reportedly attempted to influence on-duty CISF personnel to avoid legal action — an offer that was rejected and promptly reported to senior authorities.

Significance for Aviation Security

The repeated detections at IGI Airport reflect an intensified focus on behavioural profiling as a frontline tool in aviation security. Unlike conventional baggage scanning alone, CIW-led profiling allows personnel to flag passengers before they reach the security gate — a methodology that has yielded results across all three recent cases. Notably, each interception led to handover to a separate enforcement agency: Customs, Income Tax, or both, depending on the nature of the seized material.

With cross-border currency smuggling remaining a persistent concern at major Indian airports, authorities are likely to maintain — and potentially intensify — such screening protocols in the months ahead.