IndiGo Aircraft’s Wiring Tampered With to Conceal 4.5 Kg Gold Bars, Officials Suspect Involvement of Ground Staffer at Chennai Airport
In a daring and dangerous new method of gold smuggling, trained culprits tampered with the wiring of an Indigo aircraft, concealing 4.5kg of gold by tethering it to wires accessed through the toilet roof and securing it with a three-digit number code lock.
Chennai, March 6: In a daring and dangerous new method of gold smuggling, trained culprits tampered with the wiring of an Indigo aircraft, concealing 4.5kg of gold by tethering it to wires accessed through the toilet roof and securing it with a three-digit number code lock.
TOI reported that the gold bars, rectangular with a hole in the middle, were found attached to a padlock, with a wire running through them. The lock at the loose end was number-coded, indicating that only an insider with access to the code could retrieve the consignment at Chennai airport. IndiGo Airlines in Soup Again After Flyer Finds Seat Cushion Missing on Flight (See Pic).
A seasoned pilot, who wished to remain anonymous, suggested that the smugglers’ ability to open the aircraft part effortlessly indicated their knowledge of the aircraft’s workings and their skill in concealing the gold using specific tools. He reassured that passenger safety was not compromised as aircraft are designed to prevent access to crucial elements from the lavatory. IndiGo Passenger Arrested by Mumbai Police for Lighting 'Beedi' Onboard Flight, Sent to Judicial Custody.
The smuggling attempt was discovered when workers sanitising the plane noticed tampering with the electrical box in the lavatory. The Indigo plane had arrived from Abu Dhabi on Thursday night and was due to fly to Hyderabad as a domestic flight within minutes.
Upon receiving the information, safety officers opened the electric box and found a cable intertwined with other electric wires, hanging with a heavy package secured with a padlock at the loose end. Authorities had to cut the cable and break open the padlock to retrieve three rectangular gold bars wrapped in black adhesive tape.
Authorities have taken serious note of this new smuggling method and have initiated an inquiry into the incident. A customs official noted that smugglers resort to extreme methods to evade enforcement agencies and suggested that the person who carried the gold must have been well-trained to hide it in the cabin mid-flight. Customs officials, who seized the gold bars, suspect involvement of a ground staffer at Chennai airport or that the consignment might have been destined for Hyderabad.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 06, 2024 01:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).