Imagine pushing a luggage trolley through the airport, with nothing to hide, and never knowing there is a fortune in gold taped underneath. That is what investigators say two smugglers were counting on at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, until the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) stepped in.

What the DRI seized

DRI officials seized 1.3 kg of gold biscuits worth Rs 1.8 crore at the airport and arrested two people. The agency’s Bengaluru zonal unit recovered 12 gold biscuits, packed in two packets, according to a Times of India report cited by Asianet Newsable. The gold had allegedly been stuck to luggage trolleys.

How the alleged scheme worked

According to the reports, the two accused flew in from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with the gold. Instead of carrying it themselves, they allegedly attached it under the trolleys that arriving passengers would pick up. Ordinary travellers then pushed those trolleys through the Customs check, with no idea what was attached to them.

The accused then allegedly followed the passengers who had taken the trolleys and retrieved the gold afterwards. In other words, innocent travellers were being used as unwitting carriers. The idea was simple: if the gold never passed through Customs on the smugglers’ own persons or bags, there was nothing to find on them.

How the DRI caught it

The DRI says it acted on specific intelligence. Its Bengaluru unit placed the two passengers under surveillance after they arrived from Kuala Lumpur, and it intercepted the operation before the gold could be collected and taken out.

The passengers who used the trolleys

An important detail in the reports is that the travellers who took the trolleys were not part of the scheme. They were the unsuspecting cover, and the reports do not say any of them faced action. It’s a reminder of how smuggling networks can exploit ordinary, everyday behaviour.

What happens next

The DRI is expected to look into the wider network behind the alleged operation and the method used to move gold through unsuspecting passengers. The reports we have seen do not name the accused, say when exactly the seizure happened, or give details of the charges.

A practical tip for travellers

This is our suggestion, not from the reports. If you notice anything unusual stuck under or attached to a trolley, such as tape or a packet, don’t touch it and tell airport staff or security. It takes a few seconds and could save you a lot of trouble.

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