Customs officials have arrested two persons including an Air India SATS employee at the Delhi airport for their alleged involvement in smuggling gold bars worth over Rs 26 lakh.
Air India SATS, which is a 50:50 joint venture between Air India Limited and Singapore-based SATS Limited, offers end-to-end ground handling services such as passenger and baggage handling, aircraft interior cleaning and cargo handling services among others.
On Saturday, a passenger arrived at the T-3 of IGI Airport by an Air India Flight. He was intercepted by the customs officials at the multilevel car parking and brought to the arrival hall along with his baggage, according to the Office of the Commissioner of Customs (Airport and General) IGI Airport, Terminal-3.
Upon search, four gold bars weighing 466 grams worth Rs 15,03,277 was recovered. Besides, he had handed over three gold bars weighing 350 grams worth Rs 11,29,071 to the Air India SATS' Passenger Service Assistant.
Those three gold bars were recovered from a washroom near the Arrival Gate number 11 and 13, the customs officials said.
The recovered gold bars have been seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, and both the passenger and the Air India SATS employee have been arrested.