In one of the biggest seizures of foreign-origin gold in Hyderabad, the Customs department on Saturday seized 21 kg of the yellow metal at Air Cargo Complex of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
Officials valued the contraband at ₹ 9.5 crore.
Confirming the seizure to The Hindu, a senior Customs official said that the consignment, which didn’t have a proper documents, was found during the cargo screening at the airport.
“The consignment reached RGIA from a Middle East country and was being sent to Mumbai in domestic cargo, when the GMR staff found suspicious material during screening and alerted us around 5 a.m.” he said.
According to him, two kg is bullion with Swiss markings and the rest is in the form of 24 karat jewellery.
“Lack of documentation is an indication that it is smuggled gold and so far no one has come to claim it,” he said, adding that addresses on the consignment are fake.
A case was registered under the relevant sections of Customs Act and a probe has been launched.