Customs authorities at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport have apprehended two passengers with smuggled gold worth Rs 61 lakh. The passengers were coming to Delhi from Abu Dhabi and were caught with gold bars weighing a total of 2.32 kg while trying to pass through the green channel.

According to customs, on April 30 customs sleuths while keeping surveillance spotted two passengers coming from Abu Dhabi to Delhi while they were crossing the green channel. In a routine procedure, their baggage was checked which did not reveal anything amiss.

However, when their body was searched sleuths found 19 gold bars and one gold chain hidden in different pockets of their clothes. The items were seized under section 110 of the customs act.

Ever since government raised customs duty on gold import from 2% to 10%, gold smuggling has seen exponential rise. In the last financial year (2013-14) authorities across the country seized gold worth over Rs 565 crore. This was a five-fold increase over figures of previous financial year.

Sources said the seizures are actually tip of the iceberg and actually smuggling is over 10-20 times higher.