A woman passenger was intercepted at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here after Customs officials allegedly recovered 320 grams of gold concealed inside her footwear, officials said on Wednesday.

The passenger, who had arrived from Ashgabat, was intercepted by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) on the basis of spot profiling after crossing the green channel.

Officials said while no suspicious images were noticed during X-ray screening of her baggage, the passenger triggered a beep while passing through the door frame metal detector.

When asked to place her footwear for X-ray screening, the passenger attempted to remove and conceal gold ingots hidden inside the footwear.

The officers noticed the suspicious movement and they recovered five gold ingots weighing approximately 320 grams during personal search.

The seized gold has been taken into custody. Officials are investigating whether the passenger was part of a larger gold smuggling network.

Customs officials said further investigation was underway.