“It was quite a surprise,” airport director BP Sharma told NBC News. “The bars were packed in bags so we did not immediately know what it was. The bags were inspected and found to be gold.”
Customs officials say that no arrests have yet been made in connection to the gold, though some outlets are reporting that a suspect is being questioned.
India is one of the world's top gold consumers and the country recently raised the tax on imported gold jewelry from 10 percent to 15 percent. It was the third time the government has raised the tax this year in an effort to prevent Indian citizens from hoarding the precious metal.
The gold bars, which each weigh around one kilogram, could be worth as much as $1.4 million.
[NBC News]
