The Delhi airport customs department on Monday seized gold worth Rs 7.5 crore at the international airport here from two Kenyan men, officials said. In one of the biggest seizures in the recent past, the accused were intercepted after they arrived from Nairobi via Addis Ababa on Monday morning, and a search resulted in the recovery of 19 gold bars collectively weighing 15.57 kg concealed in specially made pockets, they said.
The tariff value of the seized gold is around Rs 7.5 crore, an official said. One of the passengers admitted to have visited India four to five times in the past and to have carried gold on each occasion, he said, adding that the other accused is a first-timer.
Customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport said Dubai is normally the preferred destination for smugglers to bring in gold. "This is a new route. The involvement of Kenyan nationals in gold smuggling is not very common too," a senior official said.
They have not been arrested yet as an investigation is underway, the official said.
(With agency inputs)
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