The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested five people, including two customs havildars, for allegedly helping gold smugglers pass through Chennai airport by using false X-ray reports, according to a report by the Times of India. Officials seized about 2.5 kg of 24-karat gold valued at Rs 4 crore from two Sri Lankan nationals.
The arrested people include customs havildars Arun and Karthik, a contract worker assigned to X-ray operations by the customs department, and two alleged smugglers of Sri Lankan origin. All five were remanded in judicial custody, the report said.
The case centres on an alleged breach in the airport’s screening process for passengers suspected of concealing contraband inside their bodies. Passengers intercepted by customs officers after arriving at Chennai airport are normally sent for X-ray scanning when baggage and clothing searches do not reveal suspicious material. The resulting X-ray report can also be used as evidence during a court trial.
According to the report, the alleged network used false reports to indicate that passengers were not carrying gold or other contraband inside their bodies. The DRI acted on intelligence about possible collusion between customs personnel and smuggling cartels and stationed a team at the airport.
The DRI team allegedly caught havildar Arun while he was helping smugglers who had arrived from Sri Lanka on a SriLankan Airlines flight. The gold was reportedly concealed in paste form inside the rectums of the passengers. The report said the passengers had been intercepted as part of the airport’s customs checks.
A DRI source quoted by the Times of India said Karthik, who was posted outside the airport, maintained contact with the smuggling cartels and alerted Arun when passengers carrying gold were due to arrive. If a passenger was intercepted, Arun would allegedly take the person to the X-ray room, where the contract worker would prepare a false report to mislead the customs officer on duty.
The alleged method gave the network access to a formal screening process intended to detect body concealment. The incident therefore involves not only the seizure of smuggled gold but also an investigation into whether airport screening records were manipulated by people involved in the process.
DRI officials suspect that at least four consignments may have been taken out using the same method with the assistance of the two havildars. The agency is continuing its investigation to determine whether more personnel were involved in the alleged network. The report did not provide further details about the suspected consignments or the next stage of the investigation.
