Lucknow, Lucknow airport’s customs department made significant seizures in two separate incidents on Saturday, arresting two passengers attempting to smuggle 3.497 kg of gold, marking the most substantial haul of 2023, according to airport officials.
In the first incident, gold was discovered hidden inside a coffee machine, while in the second, gold in paste form was recovered from inside the rectum of another passenger. The total value of the seized gold is approximately ₹2 crore.
A video of the incident circulated on social media, depicting officials using tools to extract gold bars hidden in the coffee machine. A Lucknow airport official clarified, “There were actually two incidents of gold smuggling on Saturday. One passenger was caught smuggling gold by hiding it in his rectum, while the second passenger was caught attempting to smuggle gold by hiding it in the coffee machine. Both passengers arrived on the Air India Express flight from Dubai.”
Since 2018, Lucknow airport’s customs department has reportedly arrested over 100 passengers and seized around 255 kg of gold worth from smugglers.
