The accused -- Amrit Pal Singh and Kamal Chadha, who had come from Hong Kong -- were carrying 74,250 2GB memory cards worth Rs 1.33 crore adopting a unique modus operandi of secreting them in a well-stitched cloth zipper jacket worn around their chest and thighs, authorities at the airport said.
Singh, a native of Tilak Nagar area in Delhi, had arrived from Hong Kong late last night.
"While passing through Green Channel, on suspicion, he was diverted and his baggage scanned but nothing incriminating was found.
"Not satisfied with it, due to suspicion on passenger, his personal search was conducted resulting in the recovery of 40,350 memory cards, valued at Rs 72.51 lakh," said Arun Kumar, Additional Commissioner, Customs (IGI Airport and T-3).
On interrogation, he revealed there was one more passenger, Chadha, who passed through the Green Channel and went outside with huge quantity of memory cards concealed in similar fashion.
Following the information, air customs officers rushed outside and identified the second passenger near pillar no 18 outside T-3 and brought him inside.
"His personal search was conducted which led to recovery of 33,900 memory cards valued at Rs 60.92 lakh," Kumar said.
"Further investigations are in progress," he said, adding that it is the biggest haul of memory cards by air customs at IGI Airport in the recent past.
Besides this, Customs officials have since April this year arrested three more passengers with memory cards worth Rs 55.50 lakh.
"All of them had come from Hong Kong," the official said.
