30 individuals suspected of smuggling escape from Lucknow airport

Lucknow, April 3 (IANS) – 30 passengers detained on suspicion of smuggling gold managed to escape from the custody of customs officials at Chaudhary Charan Singh airport. The incident occurred on Tuesday, leading to a massive hunt by Lucknow police, CISF, and customs authorities for the untraceable suspects.

The suspects were detained at the airport based on a tip-off from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) about illegal gold and cigarettes worth Rs 3.5 crore being smuggled from the UAE. Arriving on a Sharjah-Lucknow flight, Rs 25 lakh was seized from the detained passengers.

According to sources, the detainees were supposed to undergo X-ray examinations as per standard operating procedure (SOP) authorized by the court. Six passengers, including a woman, admitted to concealing goods and were detained, while others awaited their turn for screening.

However, chaos ensued when one suspect feigned illness, causing unrest among the detainees. Amid the commotion, 30 suspects managed to flee the airport, prompting Customs officials to alert the police. DCP South Zone, Tej Swaroop Singh, confirmed the law-and-order situation and dispatched a team to address it.

Police sources await a formal complaint from the customs department regarding the incident, as efforts continue to trace the escaped passengers. The incident has raised questions about security protocols at the airport and the need for stricter measures to prevent such incidents in the future.