Air India passenger refused all refreshments on flight. It led to his arrest at Delhi airport | Trending

According to a report in News18, the unnamed man refused all refreshments during the five-and-a-half-hour flight. He first refused to drink any water when the flight attendant offered water to each passenger. The man also refused all food and drinks offered to him. Suspicious of his behaviour, the flight attendant informed the captain, who in turn informed security agencies of the passenger’s suspicious behaviour via Air Traffic Control.

When the Air India flight landed in Delhi, security personnel closely monitored the passenger in question. He tried to pass through the Green Customs Clearance Channel and was stopped for questioning.

Upon being questioned, the man admitted that he had gold concealed in his rectum. The gold paste worth over ₹69 lakhs was concealed in the form of four oval capsules.

Joint Commissioner (Customs) Monika Yadav said that approximately 1096.76 grams of gold were recovered from the Air India passenger. He was arrested under relevant sections of the Customs Act after he admitted to smuggling gold from Jeddah. An investigation has been launched into the incident.

Cabin crew have been instructed to pay attention to passengers who refuse all food and drinks on long flights as it is suspected they could be smuggling gold in their bodies.

Earlier this year, a souvenir shop at Chennai airport was exposed as a front for a Sri Lankan gold smuggling syndicate. The shop’s owner, a YouTuber named Mohammed Sabir Ali, was recruited by the syndicate to help them smuggle gold. He was arrested for his role in helping smuggle 267 kg gold worth ₹167 crore over a period of two months.