Surabhi Khatun, 26, an Air India Express flight attendant, was arrested after smuggling nearly 1kg of gold at Kannur International Airport.
Air India Express flight attendant Surabhi Khatun, 26, was arrested in May 2024 after the Revenue Intelligence Directorate at Kannur International Airport in India found 960 grams of gold inside her intestines.
Surabhi was detained after authorities became suspicious of the way she was walking. She refused to undergo an X-ray test, which raised further suspicions.
Officers obtained a court order to conduct a “medical examination,” during which the 960 grams of gold in compound form was discovered. She was sentenced to 14 days in the Kannur women’s prison.
The Indian government tripled gold import duties by 15% in 2012. To avoid high tariffs, smugglers began paying around $623 to individuals to transport the gold.
By mid-2024, criminals were receiving around $15,000 to carry out the smuggling. The smuggled gold would be sold for a higher profit.
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