Gold worth ₹28.87 lakh seized from Kerala couple at Ahmedabad airport
Synopsis
A Kerala couple arriving from Sharjah on Air Arabia were intercepted at Ahmedabad airport after intelligence-based profiling — the woman had concealed over 219 grams of gold in her purse and beneath her clothing. The ₹28.87 lakh seizure is one of several recent Gulf-route gold busts at SVPIA, including a ₹4.26 crore find inside an IndiGo aircraft's lavatory speaker box.
Key Takeaways
Ahmedabad Customs seized 219.43 grams of gold jewellery worth ₹28.87 lakh from a woman passenger on 17 August .
The couple is from Kasaragod, Kerala and arrived on Air Arabia flight G9-418 from Sharjah .
Gold included 70.18 grams of 24-carat and 149.25 grams of 18-carat jewellery, concealed in a purse and beneath garments.
The husband's baggage contained undeclared goods — including two laptops and a mobile phone — valued at ₹3.50 lakh , also seized.
The seizure is part of a series of Gulf-route gold interceptions at SVPIA, including a ₹4.26 crore find from an IndiGo aircraft lavatory.
Further investigation is underway, according to Customs officials.
Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad seized 219.43 grams of gold jewellery valued at ₹28.87 lakh from a woman passenger who arrived from Sharjah on 17 August, officials said. The passenger, travelling with her husband, is a resident of Kasaragod in Kerala.
How the Seizure Unfolded
The couple arrived at Ahmedabad on Air Arabia flight G9-418 from Sharjah. Acting on intelligence developed through passenger profiling, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs intercepted both passengers for examination on Sunday.
During the check, the female passenger was found carrying and wearing gold jewellery concealed inside her purse and beneath her garments. The recovered items included bracelets, a bangle, necklaces, chains, an anklet, and gold earrings.
Breakdown of the Recovered Gold
The seized gold comprised 70.18 grams of 999-purity (24-carat) gold and 149.25 grams of 750-purity (18-carat) gold. The combined 219.43 grams was assessed at a market value of ₹28,87,473. All items were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
Undeclared Goods Found in Husband's Baggage
Customs officials also examined the male passenger's baggage, which was found to contain undeclared goods — including face bleach cream, cold relief oil, readymade garments, two laptops, and a mobile phone. The estimated market value of these goods was approximately ₹3.50 lakh, and they were also seized under the Customs Act.
Part of a Wider Pattern at Ahmedabad Airport
This seizure is part of a growing series of gold-smuggling interceptions at SVPIA involving passengers arriving from Gulf destinations. On 30 July, Customs officials seized more than 240 grams of 24-carat gold jewellery worth around ₹35.5 lakh from a woman arriving from Dubai — the jewellery was reportedly being worn and lacked required documentation.
In a separate case, 600.24 grams of gold worth approximately ₹60 lakh — fashioned into small hooks and concealed in two trolley bags — was recovered from a passenger arriving from Sharjah. In the largest recent seizure, Ahmedabad Customs recovered 24 foreign-origin gold biscuits weighing 2,799.3 grams and valued at more than ₹4.26 crore from the lavatory speaker box of an IndiGo aircraft that had arrived from Dubai.
Customs officials confirmed that further investigation in the latest case is underway.
Point of View
All on Gulf routes, all involving concealment in clothing or aircraft infrastructure, point to an organised network rather than opportunistic individual carriers. The AIU's passenger-profiling system is clearly working, but the volume and creativity of concealment — from garments to IndiGo lavatory speaker boxes — suggests the pipeline adapts faster than enforcement alone can close it. The real question is whether downstream investigation is identifying the buyers and financiers, or merely counting the grams at the gate.
NationPress
17 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much gold was seized from the Kerala couple at Ahmedabad airport?
Customs officials seized 219.43 grams of gold jewellery worth ₹28.87 lakh from the female passenger. The gold included 70.18 grams of 24-carat and 149.25 grams of 18-carat jewellery concealed in her purse and beneath her clothing.
Where had the couple travelled from and on which flight?
The couple arrived at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Air Arabia flight G9-418 from Sharjah . They are residents of Kasaragod in Kerala.
What undeclared goods were found in the husband's baggage?
The husband's bags contained face bleach cream, cold relief oil, readymade garments, two laptops , and a mobile phone , with a combined estimated value of approximately ₹3.50 lakh . All items were seized under the Customs Act, 1962.
Is this part of a larger gold-smuggling trend at Ahmedabad airport?
Yes. Ahmedabad Customs has recorded multiple gold-smuggling interceptions in recent weeks, all involving passengers on Gulf routes. Recent seizures include over 240 grams from a Dubai-bound passenger on 30 July and 2,799.3 grams worth more than ₹4.26 crore found inside an IndiGo aircraft's lavatory speaker box.
Under which law was the gold seized?
The gold jewellery and undeclared goods were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 . Customs officials have confirmed that further investigation in the case is ongoing.
