Singapore Airlines steward arrested at New Delhi airport for smuggling gold

A Singapore Airlines cabin crew has been arrested by Indian customs officers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, for allegedly smuggling gold.PHOTO: REUTERS.

SINGAPORE: A Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew has been arrested in India for allegedly smuggling gold.

The steward was arrested by Indian customs officers on Monday (Jan 22) at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

An SIA spokesman who confirmed the news told The Straits Times: "SIA confirms that a member of its cabin crew operating on SIA flight SQ402 on Jan 22 was detained by Delhi Customs authorities.

"SIA will provide full co-operation to the investigating authorities. We are unable to provide details of the crew member concerned due to confidential reasons."

The airport's Joint Commissioner of Customs Anubha Singh told Indian media that officers intercepted the SIA steward who had arrived from Singapore. "We searched him and recovered 1,048g of gold," he said.

Initial investigations have revealed that the crew member had intended to hand over the gold to an agent at a prominent hotel in Delhi.

"He would get S$500 (RM1,486) for this," a senior official said, adding that the crew had worn the gold items - a chain and a bangle - under his uniform.

He is believed to have committed a similar offence on Jan 8 but was not caught then, the Indian Express reported. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network