Indian held in Zambia for trying to smuggle Rs 17 crore and gold bars in suitcase

LUSAKA: An Indian national has been arrested for smuggling two million dollars (17 crores) and five lakh dollars (4 crore) worth of gold through an airport in Zambia. The Zambian customs officials released the details of his arrest yesterday. The 27-year-old had arrived at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to fly to Dubai. The Drug Enforcement Commissioner (DEC) arrested the Indian.

$ 2,320,000 in cash and seven gold bars worth $ 500,000 were seized. Local media in Zambia released pictures of this. Images shared by Zambian media showed stacks of $100 bills held together with rubber bands. The money was packed into a black bag, which was then placed inside a larger polypropylene suitcase. The officials said that further investigation into the incident is underway and strict action will be taken against those who commit such crimes.

The southern African country of Zambia has large reserves of copper and gold. According to the World Bank, Zambia is a poor country. More than 60 percent of the population here is poor. In 2023, five Egyptian nationals were arrested in Zambia with 127 kilograms of gold, $5.7 million in cash, and weapons.