Dubai: Custom officials caught a gold smuggling racket with the arrest of two persons, including a passenger from Dubai, at the international airport here and recovered 1 kg of gold from them.

However, officials arrested another person as an operator of an aerobridge at the airport. Another aerobridge operator, in possession of 500 gms of gold bar, has escaped.

According to the Joint Commissioner of Amritsar customs, Balbir Singh Mangat, the passenger and one of the operators have been arrested and sent to 14 days of judicial custody.

“Efforts are on to know the second operator. Further investigation is going on,” he added.

As per the information, a passenger who was reached by Air India Express Flight No IX-192 from Dubai at the Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Flight here on Saturday was blocked while exiting from the green channel.

According to the spokesperson of Amritsar Customs, during screening/search of baggage, one gold bar weighing 587 grams was discovered concealed in the shoulder bag of the passenger. This gold bar with an estimated market value of ₹ 31 lakh was seized.

On police command and questioning, the passenger admitted that he was carrying two gold bars weighing 1 kg, out of which one was handed over to the ground staff who was standing on the aerobridge. On checking the footage of CCTV, the operator of the aerobridge was identified, said the spokesperson.

According to the official, the aerobridge operator at the airport is working with the company that had the contract for aerobridge operations and was found in possession of one gold bar. He himself admitted that he had smuggled gold on the previous occasion, too, including last month.

He further admitted that he was handing over the said smuggled gold to another staff member who also works as an aerobridge operator with the same company, the official said.