Hyderabad: Gold hidden in microwave seized at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport

Hyderabad: An air passenger who tried to smuggle gold to Hyderabad from Dubai was apprehended by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence outside the Shamshabad airport. The officials seized 2.045 kg gold valued at Rs 66 lakh molded in the form of small plates coated with silver and concealed in a microwave oven.

A senior official from the DRI said that there was specific information about smuggling of gold by an air passenger who came to the city late on Thursday. The passenger arrived at RGIA in Oman Airlines flight WY 0239 from Dubai.

The information was shared with the state police who caught the passenger on the RGIA main road at Shamshabad. On examination, the passenger was found to be in possession of a microwave oven, in which 46 gold plates coated with silver were fixed in the transformer.

“After melting the plates, about 2,045 grams of gold was recovered. Inquiries revealed that the passenger received the microwave oven at Dubai and it was to be handed over to an unidentified person in Hyderabad. The passenger did not have any documents to prove the purchase of the gold,” he official said.

The official said that the gold worth '66,05,350 has been seized under the Customs Act. The passenger has been apprehended and a case has been registered.