Delhi Customs officials at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport seized 170 grams of gold from an Indian passenger who arrived from Dubai on October 25, following the detection of suspicious imagery during routine baggage screening. The incident happened after officers discreetly investigated the individual upon arrival and intercepted him as he attempted to exit from the green channel, which is an area reserved for travellers carrying no dutiable items.
On examination, the customs officer found gold weighing 170 grams disguised as a cap of a plastic bottle. It was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
“Delhi Customs at IGI Airport seized 170 grams of gold from an Indian passenger who arrived from Dubai on flight AI-996 dated October 25, 2025,” said Delhi Customs.
It added, “The passenger was discreetly followed from the flight gate and intercepted while attempting to exit through the green channel. During the X-ray screening of his baggage, officers noticed suspicious images. Upon detailed examination, a gold round was ingeniously concealed under the cap of a plastic bottle. The recovered gold, weighing 170 grams, was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.”
Further investigation into the matter is currently underway.
#WATCH | Delhi Customs at IGI Airport seized 170 grams of gold from an Indian passenger who arrived from Dubai on flight AI-996 dated October 25, 2025. The passenger was discreetly followed from the flight gate and intercepted while attempting to exit through the green channel.… pic.twitter.com/q3OoUPpwey
— ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2025
A video of the incident is going viral on social media. It opens to show an officer seemingly removing the cap of a plastic bottle, but as the video continues, it becomes clear that it wasn’t a cap at all; it was a gold round wrapped in blue tape, disguised to look like a bottle cap. Towards the end of the video, the officer weighs the gold bar in the form of a coin.
Hydroponic weed was recovered in another airport interception
In a separate incident that took place on October 20, 2025, Delhi Customs reported that officers caught a passenger who arrived from Bangkok. The individual was followed and was stopped after crossing the green channel. Upon conducting a proper examination of the luggage, officers recovered six packets of a green-coloured substance, suspected to be hydroponic weed (Ganja), weighing approximately 3,000 grams.
Authorities confirmed that a further probe is in progress to verify the origin of the consignment.
Customs teams regularly conduct surveillance at IGI Airport because of the volume of inbound international flights. They keep a track of the frequency of attempted smuggling cases involving gold, restricted items and narcotics. Additional action in both matters will be based on the findings obtained.
