New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): In a significant crackdown on gold smuggling, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport intercepted an American national of Indian origin on Friday, recovering 115 gold bars weighing 3,565 grams concealed in specially designed inner pockets of his trousers.

The value of the seized items is over Rs 5.5 crore.

The suspect arrived in New Delhi on Air India flight AI-4174 from San Francisco and was nabbed after he attempted to slip through the Green Channel without declaring the contraband.

The interception was based on risk-based profiling of passengers, following which customs officials set up a stealth vigil at the international arrival terminal.

A thorough personal search of the passenger and his baggage, conducted in the presence of independent witnesses, revealed the gold bars hidden in a specially designed belt with concealed pockets stitched into the inner lining of his trousers. The recovered gold bars are of 24-karat purity with a fineness of 999.9.

The contraband has been seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962, and the passenger has been placed under arrest under Section 104 of the same Act. Further investigations are underway.

Senior Customs officials tracking contraband flow said the seizure is directly linked to a sharp rise in smuggling attempts observed over the past week.

The recent hike in customs duty on gold from 6 per cent to 15 per cent has significantly widened profit margins for international smuggling syndicates, prompting them to deploy increasingly sophisticated concealment techniques.

'With the margin of profit per kilogram skyrocketing, international syndicates appear to have shown heightened desperation,' a senior official noted, adding that the trend was being closely monitored.

In response to the evolving threat, the Customs Department has ramped up its tactical operations at international airports.

The department is now integrating real-time passenger data analytics, advanced risk-profiling tools and enhanced physical screening measures to counter the growing menace of gold smuggling.Officials said the AIU would continue to maintain a heightened vigil at all international arrival terminals to neutralise such economic threats. (ANI)