Gold Smuggling in IndiGo Aircraft at Ahmedabad Airport

India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) recovered 24 gold biscuits weighing about 2.8 kg and valued at roughly ₹4 crore (≈ $48 million) from a lavatory speaker box on an IndiGo flight that landed from Dubai at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The gold was concealed inside the aircraft’s structural cavity, wrapped in black plastic tape, and was not associated with any passenger or checked baggage.

No arrests have been reported, and investigators are probing how the gold entered the aircraft during the turnaround period, when cleaning crews, catering staff, baggage handlers and maintenance personnel have legitimate access to the interior. The case highlights a non‑traditional smuggling method that bypasses standard passenger and cargo inspections.