With the commencement of the winter flight schedule at Gaya Ji Airport in Bihar, security personnel have uncovered a case of suspected gold smuggling. The seizure took place on Wednesday during standard pre-embarkation security checks conducted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). While inspecting personal baggage, alert personnel detected a suspicious gold biscuit weighing 110 grams. As the flyer failed to present valid legal documentation or purchase records for the precious metal, the Income Tax Department stepped in to take over the investigation.
X-Ray Screening Spots Concealed Metal in Hand Luggage
The sequence of events unfolded in the airport's domestic hold area where a flyer identified as Sonu Kumar was scheduled to board an IndiGo domestic flight operating on the Delhi-Gaya-Kolkata route. Following regular aviation protocol, the passenger placed his hand baggage onto the conveyor belt for screening at the pre-embarkation security checkpoint. The CISF screener monitoring the luggage X-ray feed noticed an unusual metallic density concealed within the contours of the bag. Acting promptly on suspicion, the screener diverted the baggage for comprehensive physical examination, which led directly to the recovery of the gold biscuit. Following the incident, security protocols including passenger profiling and advanced X-ray baggage scanning have been reinforced across the terminal.
Inter-Airport Coordination and Security Alerts
Immediately after the discovery of the undeclared precious metal, the Crime Intelligence Wing of the CISF sprang into action. Officers promptly communicated the incident details to the Income Tax Department units stationed in Gaya and Patna. To prevent any escape or disposal of evidence upon landing, the intelligence unit also alerted the CISF team on duty at Kolkata Airport ahead of the aircraft's scheduled arrival, ensuring that local enforcement authorities were fully prepared to receive the flight.
Passenger Taken Into Custody at Kolkata Terminal
The moment the IndiGo aircraft touched down at Kolkata Airport, waiting Income Tax Department officials intercepted Sonu Kumar and took him into custody. Authorities immediately initiated a detailed examination of his travel papers, identity credentials, and baggage. Officials are actively investigating the supply chain behind the 110-gram gold bar to determine where the gold originated, its legal status, and the intended recipient awaiting the consignment in Kolkata.
Heightened Surveillance Across Indian Airports
This interception at Gaya Ji Airport aligns with an ongoing surge in enforcement operations against illegal gold movement across the country's aviation transit points. In a separate incident at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, customs authorities executed a major bust against gold smuggling by intercepting a passenger arriving from Dubai. In that operation, officials seized gold valued at around 4.03 crore rupees that had been expertly concealed inside floor spring hardware. Security and revenue agencies continue to maintain tight vigilance over both domestic transit routes and international arrival gates.
