The new technique of smuggling gold disguised as a paste has baffled authorities. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Hyderabad seized 1.12 kg of gold disguised as paste worth around Rs 34.57 lakh from a passenger in Hyderabad airport, in the early hours of Saturday.

The passenger was travelling on the Madurai-Hyderabad bound flight (SpiceJet Flight No. SG-1314). During examination, officials found two package weighing 1.850 kg in his hand luggage, after thorough investigation and tests, the officers determined that the packages of paste had gold content of 1.120 kg.

To extract the gold, officials heated the paste using kerosene. Later, after formulating the paste in laboratory, they could extract gold from the paste.

Officials said that the passenger had admitted that the gold was smuggled into the country from Colombo. According to the officials, the gold was concealed in the aircraft by another associate of the smuggler at Colombo, during the flight’s travel from Colombo to Madurai. The detained accused was entrusted with the job of retrieving the gold from the aircraft during its domestic run between Madurai and Hyderabad, which was foiled by the officials.

DRI through a press release informed that the detained accused had admitted that they did not have any document to prove their legitimate purchase. The smuggled gold has been seized under Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation is under progress, authorities informed.

Last month, in Delhi, the DRI had busted a syndicate accused of smuggling over 100 kg gold for over a year. Officials said that the syndicate had been smuggling gold through Dhaka and Delhi airport. The officials have suspected involvement of insiders, who were allegedly given identity cards by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. According to officials, the carrier would deliver the gold to an employee at a telecom kiosk, the employee in return would hand over the gold to another person outside the airport.

The crime was busted after DRI officials arrested an affluent father and son, who were also in the business as paper trading. Along with the duo, eight others were arrested, during investigation, the accused had revealed the modus operandi.