Gold and contraband smuggling using international flights that have a domestic leg has come down after the air intelligence unit and customs officials initiated a search operation called "rummage" for such flights.
"We perform rummage on each international aircraft that lands in Bengaluru and has a domestic leg further on. Along with this, a customs escort official also boards the aircraft to check whether there is any transaction or exchange between international and domestic passengers," said Harshavardhan Umre, Joint Commissioner Customs. The operations are also carried out at random on flights arriving from sensitive locations like Dubai and Muscat.
All security agencies such as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Customs and Air Intelligence, city police and airport authorities work in coordination exchanging intelligence inputs to curb this menace.
Last week, one kg of gold was found in a toilet of a private airliner. Around four months ago, three kg of gold was found under a seat of an airliner. Both the cases was cracked based on a tip-off from DRI, another official who wished to remain anonymous, said.
"We only came across a couple of cases over the past five to six months where gold was smuggled in this manner," said a senior DRIofficial.
"We are well aware of this established modus operandi, where multiple passengers work in tandem, sometimes even with involvement of insiders like facility/cleaning staff through whom the booty is smuggled out," said the official.
This modus operandi has been in existence ever since international flights started extending their domestic legs after airports mushroomed in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Gold/contraband are concealed in seat covers, magazine/menu pouches, cavities, lofts, drop-boxes (dustbins) etc. "We also check if restroom toiletries inside the aircraft are tampered with. Usually, if toiletries are found tampered with, we remove them, seize the gold/drug and suspect an insider's involvement as it requires a toolkit to dismantle them.
It is highly unlikely that passengers who go through metal detection can conceal their booty in dismantled toiletries. We also get these inspected and cleared during flight overhauls," the officer said. "In addition to this, we also keep vigil at vulnerable spots inside the airport like bay area, restrooms, and drop-boxes/dustbins," the official said.![]()
Gold and contraband smuggling using international flights that have a domestic leg has come down after the air intelligence unit and customs officials initiated a search operation called "rummage” for such flights.
"We perform rummage on each international aircraft that lands in Bengaluru and has a domestic leg further on. Along with this, a customs escort official also boards the aircraft to check whether there is any transaction or exchange between international and domestic passengers,” said Harshavardhan Umre, Joint Commissioner Customs. The operations are also carried out at random on flights arriving from sensitive locations like Dubai and Muscat.
All security agencies such as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Customs and Air Intelligence, city police and airport authorities work in coordination exchanging intelligence inputs to curb this menace.
Last week, one kg of gold was found in a toilet of a private airliner. Around four months ago, three kg of gold was found under a seat of an airliner. Both the cases was cracked based on a tip-off from DRI, another official who wished to remain anonymous, said.
"We only came across a couple of cases over the past five to six months where gold was smuggled in this manner,” said a senior DRI official.
"We are well aware of this established modus operandi, where multiple passengers work in tandem, sometimes even with involvement of insiders like facility/cleaning staff through whom the booty is smuggled out,” said the official.
This modus operandi has been in existence ever since international flights started extending their domestic legs after airports mushroomed in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Gold/contraband are concealed in seat covers, magazine/menu pouches, cavities, lofts, drop-boxes (dustbins) etc. "We also check if restroom toiletries inside the aircraft are tampered with. Usually, if toiletries are found tampered with, we remove them, seize the gold/drug and suspect an insider’s involvement as it requires a toolkit to dismantle them.
It is highly unlikely that passengers who go through metal detection can conceal their booty in dismantled toiletries. We also get these inspected and cleared during flight overhauls,” the officer said. "In addition to this, we also keep vigil at vulnerable spots inside the airport like bay area, restrooms, and drop-boxes/dustbins,” the official said.
"We perform rummage on each international aircraft that lands in Bengaluru and has a domestic leg further on. Along with this, a customs escort official also boards the aircraft to check whether there is any transaction or exchange between international and domestic passengers," said Harshavardhan Umre, Joint Commissioner Customs. The operations are also carried out at random on flights arriving from sensitive locations like Dubai and Muscat.
All security agencies such as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Customs and Air Intelligence, city police and airport authorities work in coordination exchanging intelligence inputs to curb this menace.
Last week, one kg of gold was found in a toilet of a private airliner. Around four months ago, three kg of gold was found under a seat of an airliner. Both the cases was cracked based on a tip-off from DRI, another official who wished to remain anonymous, said.
"We only came across a couple of cases over the past five to six months where gold was smuggled in this manner," said a senior DRIofficial.
"We are well aware of this established modus operandi, where multiple passengers work in tandem, sometimes even with involvement of insiders like facility/cleaning staff through whom the booty is smuggled out," said the official.
This modus operandi has been in existence ever since international flights started extending their domestic legs after airports mushroomed in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Gold/contraband are concealed in seat covers, magazine/menu pouches, cavities, lofts, drop-boxes (dustbins) etc. "We also check if restroom toiletries inside the aircraft are tampered with. Usually, if toiletries are found tampered with, we remove them, seize the gold/drug and suspect an insider's involvement as it requires a toolkit to dismantle them.
It is highly unlikely that passengers who go through metal detection can conceal their booty in dismantled toiletries. We also get these inspected and cleared during flight overhauls," the officer said. "In addition to this, we also keep vigil at vulnerable spots inside the airport like bay area, restrooms, and drop-boxes/dustbins," the official said.
Gold and contraband smuggling using international flights that have a domestic leg has come down after the air intelligence unit and customs officials initiated a search operation called "rummage” for such flights."We perform rummage on each international aircraft that lands in Bengaluru and has a domestic leg further on. Along with this, a customs escort official also boards the aircraft to check whether there is any transaction or exchange between international and domestic passengers,” said Harshavardhan Umre, Joint Commissioner Customs. The operations are also carried out at random on flights arriving from sensitive locations like Dubai and Muscat.
All security agencies such as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Customs and Air Intelligence, city police and airport authorities work in coordination exchanging intelligence inputs to curb this menace.
Last week, one kg of gold was found in a toilet of a private airliner. Around four months ago, three kg of gold was found under a seat of an airliner. Both the cases was cracked based on a tip-off from DRI, another official who wished to remain anonymous, said.
"We only came across a couple of cases over the past five to six months where gold was smuggled in this manner,” said a senior DRI official.
"We are well aware of this established modus operandi, where multiple passengers work in tandem, sometimes even with involvement of insiders like facility/cleaning staff through whom the booty is smuggled out,” said the official.
This modus operandi has been in existence ever since international flights started extending their domestic legs after airports mushroomed in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Gold/contraband are concealed in seat covers, magazine/menu pouches, cavities, lofts, drop-boxes (dustbins) etc. "We also check if restroom toiletries inside the aircraft are tampered with. Usually, if toiletries are found tampered with, we remove them, seize the gold/drug and suspect an insider’s involvement as it requires a toolkit to dismantle them.
It is highly unlikely that passengers who go through metal detection can conceal their booty in dismantled toiletries. We also get these inspected and cleared during flight overhauls,” the officer said. "In addition to this, we also keep vigil at vulnerable spots inside the airport like bay area, restrooms, and drop-boxes/dustbins,” the official said.