A passenger was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport after CISF officers found two capsules with suspected gold concealed in his mouth.
The passenger had arrived in Bengaluru from Dubai and was preparing to board another flight to Ghaziabad when he was stopped by security screening.
According to a CISF officer, the capsules were found to contain around 82 grams of suspected gold.
Passenger caught up in security screening.
The incident took place at Terminal 1 of Kempegowda International Airport at around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The passenger had arrived at the airport earlier in the morning on a flight from Dubai and was doing routine security checks before boarding his flight to Ghaziabad.
During the screening process, CISF personnel observed that the passenger was acting suspiciously and was not responding appropriately to their questions, said the source.
The officers then carried out other checks, during which they found two capsules hidden inside his mouth.
The capsules were said to contain an estimated gold weight of about 82 grams.
The passenger was then taken to the police station.
The suspected gold has been sent for a purity examination. The final quantity and value will be confirmed after the test results are available.
Unusual gold smuggling method
CISF officials said the amount of suspected gold involved was relatively small, but the case got attention because of the unusual method allegedly used to conceal it.
Concealing gold inside capsules and keeping it inside the mouth is a rare modus operandi compared to more conventional methods of attempting to transport gold through airports.
Gold smuggling is frequently detected in Indian airports and especially among passengers arriving from international destinations where gold prices or import rules can create incentives for illegal transportation.
Security agencies use passenger screening, baggage checks, and other measures to identify suspicious activities.
In this case, the passenger's behavior apparently alerted CISF personnel and led to further examination.
Airport security personnel would be responsible for identifying attempts to hide prohibited or undeclared items in this incident, too.
The passenger has been handed over to the police, which will investigate where the suspected gold came from, whether it was being transported for another person, and whether any other persons were involved.
CISF foiled a suspected gold smuggling bid after a passenger arriving from Dubai spat out two gold capsules weighing around 82 grams during screening at KIA.#Bengaluru #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/SJtQLe3kZL
— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) August 26, 2026
Authorities would also determine the exact purity and value of the recovered material.
The investigation is ongoing, and more details will be forthcoming once the police finish their investigation and the gold purity test is provided.
The case is one of the more unusual ways people try to smuggle gold through airports, but the fact is that routine security checks can help to detect such efforts as well.
