Gold bars wrapped in tape and hidden under the wash basin of an aircraft toilet have been recovered on a flight from Dubai to India.
Customs officials at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi acted on a tip-off to check the washrooms of the plane on arrival on Sunday.
A video showed customs officers searching the cavity of a wash basin in a toilet and recovering four gold bars. The airline was not named by Indian authorities.
Gold is the number one traded commodity in Dubai, with airline passengers regularly found trying to take it into India without paying the customs fees for valuable imports.
While there is no limit on the amount of gold that can be exported from the UAE tax free, India applies a levy of 10.75 per cent of the value taken into the country.
On March 3, officers from the Ludhiana Customs Commissionerate officers working at the Chandigarh International Airport seized 18 bars of pure gold, each weighing 1kg, worth an estimated $2.5 million.
The bars marked as “Etihad Gold Dubai UAE” were packed into the hand luggage of a passenger on board an IndiGo flight from Dubai.
A 30-year-old was identified at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport by the Advance Passenger Information System, an electronic data interchange established by the US Customs and Border Protection to enhance airline security.
Authorities conducted several raids as a result of the seizure across India, including Khanna in Punjab.
Gold smuggling in India - in pictures
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
