Gold Smuggling Dispute: Woman Stages Fake Abduction at Calicut Airport, Four Arrested

A woman who allegedly smuggled gold from Dubai into Kerala staged a fake abduction outside Calicut International Airport on Wednesday to avoid handing over the consignment to the financiers who had funded the operation, police said.

The incident triggered a dramatic car chase involving the police, ending with the arrest of the woman and three others allegedly involved in the staged abduction.

According to police, a group arrived at the airport in a blue Maruti Baleno and drove the woman away, creating the impression that she was being abducted. However, a financier who had reached the airport to collect the smuggled gold reportedly noticed the vehicle and began chasing it.

A police team stationed at the airport joined the pursuit after noticing the chase. The vehicle managed to evade the police jeep on a couple of occasions before being intercepted following a 12-km chase.

All four occupants of the car, including the woman, were taken into custody, an officer at Karipur police station said.

During interrogation, the woman reportedly told police that she had planned the abduction drama to avoid handing over the gold to the financiers. Police said further investigation was underway to identify others who might have been involved in the operation.

The incident comes just days after another suspected attempt to abduct a woman gold carrier at the same airport.

On Monday, a gang allegedly attempted to abduct a woman who had arrived at the airport carrying more than 800 grams of smuggled gold. Police foiled the attempt and arrested two of the alleged abductors.

The back-to-back incidents have brought attention to suspected abduction attempts and disputes linked to gold-smuggling operations in the region. Police are investigating both cases.