A routine watch at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport turned into a major Customs breakthrough after officers intercepted a woman passenger carrying undeclared luxury goods, precious metals and foreign currency collectively valued at Rs 5.42 crore.

The passenger, a United States passport holder, had arrived at Terminal-3 from Hong Kong on board Cathay Pacific flight CX-695 when Customs officers flagged her for inspection based on spot profiling – a surveillance method used to identify suspicious travel patterns.

Officials said nothing initially appeared out of the ordinary. However, certain behavioural indicators and travel inputs prompted officers to conduct a closer examination. Her baggage was first scanned through X-ray machines before being taken aside for a detailed physical inspection carried out under prescribed legal procedures.