🔥 Trending Gold Smuggling Case: Man Arrested at Kochi Airport with ₹2 Crore Worth of Gold

On July 24, 2026, a significant gold smuggling attempt was foiled at Cochin International Airport (CIAL) ¹². Customs officials apprehended a 36-year-old passenger identified as Jamshid Edekkandi Poyil, a native of Kozhikode, who arrived on an IndiGo flight from Abu Dhabi on July 23 ⁵.

Details of the Seizure

The smuggled gold was valued at approximately ₹1.97 crore (nearly 2 crore rupees) ¹²⁴. It was found concealed in a highly sophisticated manner:

• Concealment Method: The gold was hidden in a specially stitched compartment within the passenger's undergarments ¹²³. Some sources specify it was sewn around the waist of the trousers ⁶.
• Form of Gold: The majority of the gold was in paste form, weighing 1,246.23 grams ¹²⁷.
• Additional Items: In addition to the gold paste, two 24-carat gold chains weighing 100.21 grams were also seized ¹⁸.

Arrest and Investigation

The passenger was intercepted by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs department ⁵. This incident highlights the ongoing efforts by authorities to curb gold smuggling, which remains a persistent issue at Indian airports. The use of innovative concealment methods, such as specially tailored clothing and gold in paste form, indicates the lengths to which smugglers go to evade detection ²⁷.