Customs Narcotic Control Unit officials at the BIA Departure Terminal on a tip off searched five male passengers who were about to travel to Chennai on Indigo Airlines flight 6E 1171 at 1.55pm yesterday and seized the contraband.

The officials found 23 plastic capsules containing a gel-like solution mixed with gold dust and ten sachet packets containing the gold dust, overall weighing up to 8,637grams (8.6Kgs) concealed in their clothes in the baggage.

This was reported as the fourth gold gel smuggling attempt thwarted by the Customs at the BIA in the last three weeks. The contraband will be sent to the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) to determine the exact quantity of gold dust mixed in a gel-like solution.