NEW DELHI: What was supposed to be a routine flight to Dubai for a 27-year-old Indian turned into a dramatic detour — straight into a Zambian detention cell.
Authorities at Lusaka’s Kenneth Kaunda International Airport stopped the man moments before takeoff after discovering $2.32 million (₹19.32 crore) in crisp $100 notes, neatly rubber-banded and stashed in his suitcase. Tucked alongside the cash: seven gold pieces estimated to be worth nearly $500,000 (₹4.15 crore).
The Zambian Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), which intercepted the haul, said the suspect had concealed the items like everyday travel essentials, buried deep in his luggage. Images released by local media showed a scene right out of a thriller—wads of cash stacked in black bags and glittering gold bars hidden beneath clothing layers.
Investigators are now digging deeper, with DEC warning that “transnational organised criminals” won’t escape the law’s reach.
While Zambia is rich in resources like copper and gold, a majority of its population lives below the poverty line—making cases like this both sensational and politically sensitive. In fact, this isn’t the country’s first brush with high-profile smuggling: In 2023, five Egyptians were caught landing in Lusaka with 127 kg of gold and $5.7 million in cash. Though espionage charges were later dropped, that incident sparked intense scrutiny.
For the Indian man, there’s no onward journey in sight. No Dubai skyline. Just officials, interrogations, and an uncertain wait in Lusaka.
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