The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has foiled a major foreign currency smuggling attempt at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad by seizing foreign currency worth approximately ₹1.56 crore from two Indian passengers travelling to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials intercepted a male passenger before boarding an AirAsia flight and recovered a large quantity of foreign currency, including US dollars, Malaysian ringgit and Singapore dollars, carefully concealed inside a black plastic cover hidden among clothes in his trolley bag.
During questioning, the passenger revealed that a woman travelling on the same flight under a separate Passenger Name Record (PNR) was also carrying foreign currency. DRI officers immediately placed her under surveillance and intercepted her before departure. A detailed search of her luggage led to the recovery of an additional cache of US dollars concealed in a similar manner inside her trolley bag. Together, the two passengers were found carrying foreign currency valued at nearly ₹1.56 crore.
Both passengers failed to produce any valid documents proving the legal possession or transportation of the seized foreign currency. Consequently, DRI officials confiscated the entire amount along with the trolley bags used to conceal it under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and arrested both individuals. Authorities have launched a detailed investigation to determine the source of the currency, identify any larger smuggling network involved, and establish the intended purpose of transporting such a huge amount of foreign exchange out of the country.
