Bus driver, passenger held at Lucknow Airport for smuggling gold

New Delhi: Customs officials at Lucknow Airport on Wednesday (April 13) arrested a man driving an Air India bus and a passenger for allegedly smuggling over 3,149 grams of gold worth Rs 1.6 crore.

The gold was seized from a passenger who arrived at the Lucknow Airport in Uttar Pradesh at around 3 am from Muscat.

“On the basis of APIS analysis and intelligence gathering, a pax was discreetly observed from the flight and intercepted on the basis of suspicious movement. On checking his hand baggage, 27 gold bars wrapped together with red and black tape were found. Total 3149.280 grams of gold valued at Rs. 1,68,48,648/- was recovered,” the official statement said. 

The Bus driver, who according to Air India was a third-party worker, confessed to his connivance wherein he was supposed to receive the said gold from the passenger in the bus and smuggle it outside the airport. 

The passenger and the driver, both have been arrested and are being produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate(Economic Offences). Further investigation is underway.