Customs officers at Indira Gandhi Worldwide Airport have seized 115 smuggled gold bars weighing 3.5 kg from an American nationwide of Indian origin who allegedly hid the contraband inside a specifically designed belt, officers stated on Saturday.

In response to an official assertion, senior Customs officers monitoring contraband motion stated the foremost seizure coincides with a current spike in gold smuggling makes an attempt following the hike in Customs obligation on gold from 6 per cent to fifteen per cent, PTI reported.

Officers stated the sharp improve in revenue margins for unlawful gold commerce seems to have prompted worldwide smuggling syndicates to undertake extra subtle concealment methods.

Appearing on intelligence inputs generated by way of risk-based passenger profiling, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) intercepted the passenger on the worldwide arrivals terminal after he arrived from San Francisco on Could 15 and allegedly tried to go by way of the inexperienced channel unnoticed.

Through the search, officers recovered 115 gold bars hidden in inside pockets stitched into the passenger’s trousers and hid inside a specifically modified belt.

The seized gold bars had been of 24-karat purity (999.9) with a complete weight of three,565 grams.

Customs officers stated the gold was being smuggled into India illegally and was seized below Part 110 of the Customs Act, 1962.

The passenger has been arrested below Part 104 of the Customs Act, the assertion added.