Delhi Customs Seize 1 Kg Gold, 10 Kg Silver, Luxury Watches From US Woman

A routine watch at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport turned into a major Customs breakthrough after officers intercepted a woman passenger carrying undeclared luxury goods, precious metals and foreign currency collectively valued at Rs 5.42 crore.

The passenger, a United States passport holder, had arrived at Terminal-3 from Hong Kong on board Cathay Pacific flight CX-695 when Customs officers flagged her for inspection based on spot profiling - a surveillance method used to identify suspicious travel patterns.

Officials said nothing initially appeared out of the ordinary. However, certain behavioural indicators and travel inputs prompted officers to conduct a closer examination. Her baggage was first scanned through X-ray machines before being taken aside for a detailed physical inspection carried out under prescribed legal procedures.

During the examination, officers allegedly discovered large quantities of undeclared foreign-origin valuables concealed inside the luggage. The seizure included nearly 1.2 kilograms of gold and diamond jewellery, around 10 kilograms of silver utensils and multiple luxury watches belonging to premium international brands such as Rolex, Bvlgari, Chopard, and Cartier.

Apart from the jewellery and watches, officers also recovered foreign currency comprising 9,084 US dollars, 605 euros and 2,540 Hong Kong dollars, which officials said had not been declared as required under Indian Customs regulations.

Authorities stated that the passenger had allegedly attempted to bring the goods into India without mandatory declaration, violating provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. The entire consignment was subsequently seized under Section 110 of the Act after its total market value was assessed at Rs 5.42 crore.

During further scrutiny, customs officers also found domestically procured gold ornaments weighing 552 grams among the belongings. Since the passenger was able to establish lawful domestic purchase of those items, they were not seized and were returned following verification.

Officials later placed the passenger under arrest under Section 104 of the Customs Act, which empowers Customs authorities to detain individuals suspected of serious smuggling or customs evasion offences.

Investigators are now examining the origin of the seized luxury goods, the passenger's travel history and possible financial links to determine whether the case is part of a larger international smuggling network operating through East Asian transit routes.