Ahmedabad International Airport is once again in the news – this time, too, for an unpleasant reason. In the latest case, officers seized 353.8 grams of precious metal worth USD 44,100 and economically important metals, including aluminium, from a passenger of SpiceJet flight SG16 from Dubai. The Ahmedabad Zonal unit of the DRI acted upon specific intelligence and intercepted the passenger, opening a strange trolley bag that contained 82 screws.
Image for referential purposes only
At first, the screws seemed to be aluminium, but after taking a closer look, the screws were not aluminium and only had a coat of aluminium. When the aluminium was melted, the authorities later captured the metal that was smuggled into the country. As a DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) official later disclosed, this was not an accidental concealment of precious metal but a clever programme intended to exploit the characteristics of aluminium's looks and properties.
This is hardly an isolated case. In 2024, almost 134 kilograms of gold were seized at Ahmedabad Airport and later deposited with the Reserve Bank of India. This year alone, seizures have made up almost 34 kilograms, and smugglers have become more creative and innovative, from placing a paste of gold in flight toilets to hiding the illicit shipping in cigarette cartons.
Aluminium: the silent metal warrior
Aluminium, ironically, the material used for masking the smuggled items, is also one of the most important and sustainable metals that serve as a pillar of modern life. Dubbed the “silent metal warrior”, aluminium is the perfect combination of strength, adaptability, and infinite recyclability, featured in everything from kitchen foil to skyscrapers. The Empire State Building was one of the first examples of the significant advantages of aluminium.
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