Rs 1.8 cr gold biscuits seized at Bengaluru airport, they were found under trolleys

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a smuggling operation and seized 1.3 kg of gold biscuits worth Rs 1.8 crore at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport.The network allegedly targeted unsuspecting passengers to get the smuggled gold past Customs without their knowledge.Two accused allegedly brought in the contraband from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. They would then conceal the gold biscuits by sticking them under luggage trolleys.With this modus operandi, the accused would target fliers who picked up the trolleys and crossed Customs. They would then follow the passengers and retrieve the gold, thus using travellers as unwitting mules.Acting on specific information, DRI officials seized the gold biscuits. The investigation is expected to focus on the smuggling network and the modus operandi used to move the smuggled gold.The development surfaced around the same time a passenger was allegedly found to be hiding over 300 grams of gold paste in his footwear after landing at the Mumbai international airport from UAE's Sharjah.Officials, cited by news agency PTI, said the incident took place on October 6 evening at the Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.The gold is estimated to be worth Rs 37 lakh, according to the officials.The accused was getting his security checks done for his onward domestic journey to Jaipur when Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel asked him to put his shoes in the X-ray machine.Subsequently, a total of 319 grams of gold paste was detected in the sole of his shoes.- Ends(With additional inputs from PTI)