Delhi Customs officials at Indira Gandhi International airport have nabbed former aide of senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor along with one passenger, who had arrived from Bangkok on Wednesday, for smuggling gold valued over Rs 35 lakhs. The MP’s ex-staffer was identified as Shiv Kumar Prasad and he was carrying an Aerodrome Entry permit ID mentioning him as Personal Assistant (PA).

“The circumstances of acquisition of Aerodrome Entry Permit, as a part of the protocol team for a Member of Parliament, are being looked into,” Joint Commissioner of Customs (IGI airport) Varun Koundinya said.

Reacting to the news, Tharoor took to X (formerly Twitter) and stated, “While I am in Dharamshala for campaigning purposes, I was shocked to hear of an incident involving a former member of my staff who has been rendering part-time service to me in terms of airport facilitation assistance. He is a 72 year old retiree undergoing frequent dialysis and was retained on a part-time basis on compassionate grounds. I do not condone any alleged wrongdoing and fully support the authorities in their efforts to take any necessary action as may be required to investigate the matter. The law must take its own course.”

According to Customs officials, on the basis of suspicion, officers booked a case of smuggling of gold against an Indian national who arrived at IGI Airport from Bangkok by flight TG-323. “Further investigations revealed involvement of another individual who had come to the airport to receive the passenger and also assist in smuggling. The said individual was intercepted and a heavy gold chain weighing 500 gms was recovered from him which was handed over to him by the passenger inside the arrival hall,” said the Joint Commissioner, adding that enquiry revealed that the individual had a valid Aerodrome Entry Permit.

“The circumstances of acquisition of Aerodrome Entry Permit by the receiver, as a part of the protocol team for a MP, are being looked into. Gold valued totally at Rs. 35.22 Lakhs was recovered. The recovered gold has been seized under section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962,” he added.

Taking a dig at Congress, Tharoor’s opponent in Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat this election Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister and senior BJP leader, said that first Chief Minister Secretary was involved in Gold smuggling “Now Cong MP “aide”/PA detained for Gold smuggling. CPM and Cong - both INDI alliance partners - alliance of gold smugglers,” he said on X.