A seemingly ordinary couple arriving from Dubai aroused suspicion at Surat International Airport over the weekend not for what they said, but how they walked.
Airport security officials say an “unusual walking pattern” led to the discovery of over 20 kilograms of gold paste a smuggling method increasingly used to avoid detection concealed on their bodies and inside specially modified clothing.
The passengers, a man and woman in their early 30s, were intercepted shortly after clearing immigration on Saturday afternoon. CISF officers monitoring the terminal noticed both appeared to be walking stiffly and avoiding eye contact.
“Their movement was not natural. It was clear they were uncomfortable almost like they were bracing themselves,” a senior customs officer told [News Outlet]. “It raised immediate red flags.”
The Discovery
A secondary screening revealed multiple packets of gold paste strapped to the couple’s thighs, lower back, and around the waist, carefully wrapped in heat-sealed plastic. Some of the paste was also found hidden inside undergarments and stitched into the lining of their clothes.
Authorities estimate the total weight of the contraband to be 20.4 kilograms, worth approximately ₹13 crore (USD $1.56 million) at current market rates.
“This is one of the largest gold paste seizures at Surat airport to date,” said a spokesperson from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which has taken over the investigation.
Rising Trend in Smuggling
The use of gold paste a semi-solid form of the metal mixed with other substances to avoid metal detectors has become a growing trend among smugglers attempting to bypass airport security in India, where demand for gold remains consistently high.
Officials say the gold can be chemically processed and recovered in solid form after smuggling, making it difficult to detect and extremely profitable for organized syndicates.
“This case highlights the increasingly creative and desperate tactics smugglers are using,” said an anti-smuggling analyst. “But it also shows how effective behavioral profiling can be in spotting suspicious activity.”
Couple Under Interrogation
The arrested couple, whose names have not been released pending further investigation, are currently in custody. They reportedly told investigators they were offered ₹3 lakh each to carry the gold into India and hand it over to an unknown contact outside the airport.
Authorities believe they are “mules” working for a larger smuggling network based in the Gulf and are now tracing phone records and travel history to identify other possible operatives.
Tighter Measures Expected
Following the incident, airport security agencies are expected to enhance passenger screening and increase surveillance of flights arriving from high-risk destinations like Dubai, Sharjah, and Muscat.
