Customs officials have seized 1 kg gold at Delhi airport that was being smuggled into the country by a passenger from Dubai.

Acting on a tip-off Customs officials boarded the plane as soon as it landed at Delhi airport and a search revealed that a U shaped gold bar wrapped in a tape was fixed to a rod under the seat of the passenger.

"The gold weighing 1000 grams is valued at around Rs 49 lakh and the passenger has admitted to having bought it in Dubai. The gold has been seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act and the passenger has been arrested,” said officials.

The passenger has admitted to having smuggled another 2,000 grams of gold on earlier trip as well.

Gold smuggling from the Gulf countries is on the rise as earlier this month Customs officials at the Hyderabad airport caught a passenger smuggling gold into the country concealed as beads stitched onto a consignment of burqas. The male passenger who arrived on a flight from Dubai was carrying 350 grams of gold worth around Rs 18.2 lakh.

The UAE is a major gold buying hub as prices are much lower than India and no questions are asked from shoppers. Passengers out to make a fast buck often act on their own, but are also known to be roped in by smuggling syndicates to act as carriers, according to Customs officials.

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